it was.

Maybe i lucked out or finished the whiterun battle fast enough, my whiterun wasnt damaged at all when i returned after the civil war was over. Maybe it has something to do with the MQ mission being active where you have to ask the jarl for help. Also breezehome wasnt locked and lydia was still sitting in my room as my housecarl.

I was on the stormcloak side

I'm weeks away from the Battle of Whiterun in my game and when I go back there the damage it took in the battle is still evident.

I have heard that things do get repaired but you have to be absent from the city for a certain period of time in order for that to happen. I don't know if that's true or not, I was constantly going back there afterwards trying to locate the new Jarl and his steward so I could buy Breezehome, plus I was doing the Companions quests, so I was never gone for that long. Maybe I should avoid the place for a while to see if anything changes. The debris in front of Heimskr's house is a PITA because jumping over that waterway and cutting through his front yard was always my shortcut up to Jorrvaskr, lol.

there is visual damage. I know breezehome had a piece of roof on fire when I ran past. Was worried cause the wife had locked herself inside and even though I had the key, I was locked out.

The area around the large tree gets knocked down. the priests house as mentioned can no longer be accessed. There is also visible damage on other homes you'll see people repairing though they never seem to finish.

having done the story line both ways, the damage is the same.

Eh, if im not wrong most of the damage is gone after some time, though i think the burnt down house still remains. Anyway, BLAST HEIMSKR, he's annoying.

You know, it took me FOREVER to notice his little campsite that shows up after his house is trashed. Then my character used it to take a nap. (it was the middle of the day, he wasn't using it.) It's kind of sad that no one will put him up in their house, though.

I have mixed feelings about Heimskr. He drives me absolutely bonkers when I'm in the area, but I don't want anything to happen to him.

I just turned wolf and ate him. No more worrying.