Has anyone built these to completion? I could not really see the benefits, given that I can get an alchemy and an enchanting table inside the main hall, at least in Lakeview, so why should I waste two wings on them.

Is it just the view, or do you get any special items when it's completely built?

I have a save now where I have built the main hall for all three buildings and stored necessary building materials inside a barrel in each house. So now I'm ready to choose wings and complete the building process.

I like the enchanting tower, although I do not actually put an enchanting table in it. It has a large and small display case, 3 weapons racks, a weapon plaque and a mannequin, with plenty of storage space, a perfect little armory tower for a house without the armory wing. It has a shelving unit downstairs, but unfortunately it is full of the usual junk so useless.

The alchemy tower was too cluttered, you could not even display potions or ingredients on the alchemy table, none of my characters ended up using it in their final houses. You got a few alchemy ingredients with it, but it was not really worth putting up with the clutter.

The enchanting tower is nice, but unfortunately I prefer the bedroom - both offer a great view of Solitude from Windstad Manor. If there was some way to move the Enchanting Tower to the North Wing (where all three options do not appeal to me at all)... although if I could do that I'll probably build the armory. The alchemy tower is really horrible - who needs 3 satchels in a display case beside the table? The single satchel on the table in Breezehome (or just beside in Vlindrel Hall and even the Hearthfire main hall) is already perfect. Now if it added a few bookshelves it might be worth investing in, but there's nothing in the alchemy tower which I like, other than the tall view of Lake Ilinata if I'm at Lakeview (although the trophy room porch functions almost as well, you can't quite reach the hawk nest as easily).

I usually build neither, and am waiting for some wonderful modder to release a mod where you can build any extension on any wing - I'm sure it's a matter of time. All my houses leave the North Wing unbuilt, while I tear my hair out wondering which wing to choose from the nice East and West wings.

It's really a shame that you can't tear down and rebuild once you have built the wings, unless there is a way which I don't know of. Wouldn't have been such a tough decision then.

Just save before you start building, you can always change your mind and start again. You have three houses with nine wings between them, so unless you are building each house exactly the same, you can try out all nine wings.

But I would still not bother with the alchemy tower. Build it and furnish it to see what it is like, then go back and put something more useful there if you did not like it.

Try building the alchemy tower with no roof...you might like it...

I never bother with the roof on any of the towers. Just seems to get in the way. Although, it was kinda cool that one time a dragon landed on the roof above me.

from videos, the alchemy tower may be nice for late game,
mostly because the large number of storage
which I use to 'mark' fancy potions (those with 2-3-4 effects !!!)
I basically store the special ingredients together as a reminder
and refill them from my main storage from time to time when supplies get low

basic storage:
common (under 10 gold)
uncomon (10-49 gold)
rare (50 gold and above)

then I go for core recipes
-fortify+restore health (wheat+blue flower)
I think I found a third effect/ingredient, but can't remember right now

-fortify enchenting (top secret, don't want to spoil your game)
-fortify smithing

etc etc ...

and the fancy recipe with slow, paralysis, invisibility

you want to remember the list of cheapest ingredients
wouldn't want to waste expensive ingredients on restore health, right ?

the enchanting tower seems nice to put relevant stuff together
basicaly the kit for small things that fit into pockets....
rings, necklace, diadem, even gloves
the idea is you switch thoses depending on what dragon you face
you could even carry arround a variety of hoods for magic

personaly,

first house = main house (bedrooms/armory/storage) (giant patio to look arround and keep family safe)
second house = alchemy lab (alchemy tower/greenhouse/kitchen)
third house = enchenting lab (enchanting tower/trophy room/library)


magical staff storage ? 8D
too bad they don't have one handed wands, would be so cool
mmm .... two handed wand-wielding ... nasty ... !!!

All of my house-building characters are pretty serious alchemists, so they will likely go with the alchemy tower, unless they have to give up the bedroom to get it. My Khajiit doesn't plan to adopt, so he might go with it anyway.

I'm waiting for a modder to find a way to add ALL of those options to an extended version of the house. Maybe extend the north wing in the rear by another dining hall in length. Then add the storage and trophy rooms on either side of that with the alchemy lab directly ahead at the very end of this 2nd dining room. That would add an extra 2 rooms for a total of 5/9 added rooms.

Same idea with the east and west wings. In the west wing, relocate the greenhouse to the east wing and make it a connecting interior room off the kitchen (it's only natural to have growing herbs nearby the kitchen IMO).

Modify the kitchen to include an archway/doorway that immediately faces you when you enter from the dining hall. This would allow you to walk directly into the greenhouse from the kitchen archway.

Put the library and armory as wings on the left and right of the relocated greenhouse entrance. This redesign on the east wing would add a total of 4 rooms instead of 3.

Finally, in the west wing, add the remaining enchanted tower room to the bedroom. The tower's connecting entrance would be located directly across from the entrance where you go into the bedroom. This would be a total of 9 rooms.

Well if you want to mod it that much you are going to have to find somewhere else to build as well Lakeview and Windstad do not I think have the room be extended that much, and you would have to move the main hall at Heljarchen most likely.

The alchemy tower has one nice feature, it gives access to the roof. I guess the other towers do also but it was fun to just jump up on the top of the roof.

The libary is the only tower who add something usefull as in bookshelfs. Should be more. We already has more than enough basic storrage.

How many do I use, one for raw food, one for proseced, one for ingridients, extra potions, crafting materials, house building items, base weapon, armor, clothing, book not in shelfs, one for special unique weapon and armor, one for fun junk who might be used for decorating, one for potential usefull items. one for items to enchant, one for extra gems and an one outbox for things to sell. One for stuff I have removed from display and one for the houscarl orginal items. 18 total.

Main benefit? Having a tower of course!

Built the enchanting tower. RP appropriate for my character. I chose not to build the roof because I like hanging out on top of the tower when I need my alone time and being able to have unobstructed views.

One complaint--added both braziers to the enchanting room, and now its way way too bright in there. Hurts my eyes. But there's no way to turn it down now.

Try putting an bucket or kettle over it.

They give you a lot more options for storage in my opinion, like the enchanting tower has its own mannequin and weapon racks for putting all your magical goods in, if your like me and would rather have dedicated rooms for different things instead of putting everything in one room. But of course if all you care about is the enchanting table, you get one in the main hall too, I just think its better to organize my magic and alchemy things into seperate rooms.

I hated that they were all mismatched bookcases as well. Not so much a library as a collection of garage sale shelves.

It's also arguably one of the harder choices to make, given you can't replace a Kitchen otherwise, and have only a single mannequin by default without the Armory (though the enchanting tower has one too I believe?)

Personally I went with the Alchemy Tower. Not because it's particularly valuable, but because the alternatives were the least interesting. I don't really need more storage options (have to take the Armory anyway if I want to avoid the spouse pathing bug in Lakeview) and a Trophy room doesn't beat the view of a tower.

Thankfully on the PC there are a number of mods that allow you to put whatever you want into the space. I used Home Construction and Decoration (http://skyrim.nexusmods.com/mods/22791) to put a well into the space at the first floor of the tower. Haven't decided what to do with the second floor yet, but probably not a redundant Alchemy Lab.