Hey,

I'm curious about the reasons you chose the specific plots for your homes and how you built on them.

I am currently building my first home in the pale, at the moment I have the entrance, main hall, kitchen and bedrooms fully furnished and I am most likely going to build a trophy room in my northern wing seeing as the storage is pointless since there is already so many storage options and an alchemy tower without a greenhouse seems rather pointless as well but that's just my opinion. After all that all I have to do is pick 2 lucky children and move in my wife.

The reason I chose this plot is because of the different views but in all fairness the northern lights sold it for me. As well as it being an area with a moderate forest with enough game to keep me entertained.

So what are your homes like and why did you build it that way?

Falkreath: This is my family home. I have a Bedroom, Storage and Kitchen area. The area is simply gorgeous, and the lake will be entertainment for my children.

Morthal: This is my war castle. There's an Enchanting and Alchemy Tower, plus the Armory of course. Makes sense to have it close to Solitude, seat to the Throne.

Pale: Haven't gotten around to finishing this house yet, but I plan to make a Greenhouse, Library, and Trophy wing. I'll likely finish the Trophy room at least, if not to display the Undead that I have conquered.

And of course, I've consecrated all 3 by constructing Altars of the Nine in the basemants. Glory to the Nine!

You have 11 plantable spots in the garden, I have found this to be plenty for alchemy purposes. However, you can still have an alchemy lab in the main hall if you don't want the tower, same for the enchanting table.

I have built my home in the Pale, I love Heljarchen Hall. Its wide open space, and the mountainous terrain with pine forests and ore veins, along with spectacular views, won me over quickly, not to mention the proximity to Whiterun, my favorite city.

I built the house with all 3 wings, bedroom, kitchen and alchemy tower. I did not put the alchemy table in the tower though, but in the main hall. I wanted the tower strictly for the view and a private spot for myself away from spouse, child (only one at this time), steward, and housecarl. I have great views from the patio deck over the bedroom as well. The inside of the tower is mostly for storage, but without the barrels and accompanying junk. I have the grain mill, stable, animal pen with cow and chickens, and the garden. I have so many alchemy ingredients that I just cleared them from the garden and planted it full of flowers. (also alchemy tho, lol) The cellar is fully set up for smithing, of which I do a lot, and the Shrine to the Nine.

On a more tactical note, you get a good view of any possible enemies from a good distance.

Just built the tower to see what it looks like with the rest of the building and I have to admit it gives you a great view of the area and fits in with the house better than I expected, with it being a family home I think I'll restrict my enchanting and alchemy tables to the tower instead of having them in the main hall just to free up some space.

I wonder if anyone builds the barrels, because they seem to clutter up the place more than anything.

I also find the underground forge area to be a bit... hazardous since... well there's no ventilation so I can imagine the house burning, but then again its a game and you can't seem to have a forge outside with the smelter and worktables which was a little disappointing for me.

The anvil outside (or inside) stands in for the forge if you don't want that inside. You can make armor on it. Just fyi, the alchemy and enchanting towers are separate, you can'y build both tables in one tower. They don't take up much space, and since all the furnishings have fixed locations, it you don't build them in the main house, the spots they go in stay empty.

I built no barrels, the ones I have came with some furniture that was built. I role play, but I can put that aside just for the whole smithy in the cellar. lol

The first plot I could aquire was Windstad. I had already performed the requirements and was thane in Morthal. I built the home to its full capacity and the family lives there. I left the standard master bedroom and childrens beds up stairs. I put in a greenhouse in one wing, an armory in the other and the celler has shrines to the nine and a full smithery/wine celler and safes. I built every possible thing you can build in those wings. I also have an alchemy lab/tower.

I own lakeview but have not developed it much. When I do it will be a fellowship hall I'll keep followers at.

Don't own the Dawnstar plot yet. When I do, I have no idea what I will do with it.

I just built built Winstad as the small house today, fully furnished it. I needed someplace to stay in that part of Skyrim,especially when I go to harvest the fish I put in. I put the garden in there too, though I really don't need it. I may eventually build the main hall, not sure right now, same for any wings there. Small, but it will do. My housecarl Valdimar got there right away, first thing I think he did was kill the local horkers. lol I found him killing the last one, so it was meat for the table right off.

Weird... he just drinks mead and chats it up with the bard heh... I killed the horkers cause I thought they were eating the fish from my fish pond.

I like Windstad as a home too. The location is nice. View of the water/mountains and Solitude.

No bards for me. No steward at WInstad yet either, so I guess he needed something to do. lol

I think ya gotta make at least one house with both an Alchemy and Enchanting Tower, if for no other reason than the two towers look wik-kid awe-sum...!

(and the other tower option is so lame I can't even type it without falling asleep and crashing me head directly through my laptop...)

I wonder what tower that could possibly be

Well I have built my house Heljarchen and just moved the misses in, time to figure out who to adopt. By the way is it true that some kids complain about the cold where as others like the area?

Lakeview has the 3 tower options enchant, library, and alchemy

Windstad has trophy, greenhouse and armory

Heljarchen Hall has bedroom, kitchen and storage

Tried this config so I could use all the options.

Wish there was a way to have all the options in a mega complex......would be sweet!

Some talented modder wil come up with it eventually for the Pc platform.

A lot of work no doubt!

I have to agree having all of the possible expansions would be amazing, its a shame that we are limited.

I also plan to do a similar thing with my houses -

Winstad will have my library, alchemy lab and greenhouse.
Lakeview will have my armory, trophy room and the enchanters tower.

I still cant make my mind up about my northern wing for my family home, the trophy room looks out of place, the storage seems pointless and the tower makes the house seem smaller.

The non-Nord children will say "It's so cold here, if I stay outside too long, I'll freeze solid!" But they play outside anyway, they just don't have the Nord resistance to cold.

One of my characters (Mikke of Green River) has all three plots. Here’s what she’s done so far.

Windstad Manor is the family home, now known as the Ghost Marsh Meadery. (Roggi Knot-Beard is her husband.) The wings are Bedroom, Storage Room, Kitchen. She left out most of the animal heads and barrels. The basemant has all of the smithing tools, and the alchemy and enchanting tables are in the Main Hall. There is a full staff here along with all of the outbuildings and animals.

Heljarchen Hall is finished as a Wolf Lodge for her fellow Companions. The plan is to eventually get Vilkas out there as a steward. There is no garden or any other exterior crap built that hostiles could use for cover. Wings are Enchanting Tower with no enchanting table, Trophy Room with only wall shelves and trophies built, and Armory with minimal furnishings. The back room of the main hall is mostly open space, the idea being that everyone could just throw a bedroll on the floor when there’s a full house. All animal heads and weapon racks are in place. The back room of the cellar is empty except for a kettle with torches in each corner. That’s the sparring room. The altar base is bare for now, but I’m sure she will think of something to display there. Of course she built the mead barrels.

Lakeview Manor is still just a cabin used to recover from werewolf rampages, but she plans to finish it as a vacation spot for the family. Wings will be Greenhouse, Storage Room for the rooftop deck, Library Tower for the view. Though I’m tempted to use the Armory instead so that the decks will connect. The garden is planted with blue mountain flowers so that the bees will make especially healthy honey, since she gives the honeycombs to Roggi to use in his mead.

The only animal heads ?I didn't place were the horkers the creatures are horrible enough to look at outside never mind in my own home. I wish there was an after building option that allowed you to remove certain furnishings like the ungodly amount of barrels and sacks, I don't see why the majority of them aren't outside.

I'm also glad I don't have furnishings under one of my stairs in the main hall, one less barrel to look at.

I also cannot get away with the cellar forge, if there was some sort of ventilation leading to the surface then maybe I can look the other way...

Proudspire or Hjerim = familly house (don't want to risk the lives of my kids)

Lakeview = Armory focus = Armory/Bedrooms/Storage
What can't be displayed can be sorted in the bedroom and storage area
Heljarchen = Alchemy focus = Kitchen/Greenhouse/alchemy
I use bags and barrels to ''mark'' powerfull recipes with multiple effects
for example wheat+blue flower+lavender = restore health + fortify health + fortify conjuration
Morthal = Enchanter focus = Enchenter/library/trophy
that's where I store all the enchented goodies, it's also my main house for the end game

as the game progress, lakeview is more of a loot sorting facility, and heljarchen a potion manufacture
but they all get some private space where I can store gear and loot
the entry way has a common function to all houses
that's where I put a stock of usefull potion
while I keep usefull food in the backroom

I started with the Pale, since my Female Nord Warrior needed a "nord" place.

Heljarchen is our proud family seat - Keltinga Lodge. It has a huge kitchen, children's bedroom and a large storage room.

Windstad Manor will be Brigid Keltinga's retreat, to spend some time away from Husband and Children.
She can while away the hours fishing, reading in the Library, spending time mixing potions in the Alchemy tower or improving her armor and blades in the Enchanting tower.

Lakeview manor will be their Lake House. If it gets too cold in the Pale, they will move to Falkreath and enjoy a milder climate. It's especially idyllic, since the house has a wrap-around porch (still need to build that one though lol)

Pretty much all of my past kids have been Nords, so they acted like someone had slipped them some horse-sized doses of MDMA or something at Heljarchen Hall. and I finally understand why : )

My main setup, with spouse, child, and pets, is at Windstad Manor. Valdimar triples up as husband, steward, and housecarl. The first things I installed were the firepit and the bed, then the garden, outdoor smithing station (including smelter), and livestock. All my forging equipment is outside, though I do have two alchemy labs and three cooking areas/hearths. I keep my cellar as a shrine/meditation room/bar. I just installed the alchemy tower today, and have the greenhouse and kitchen wings. I'm maybe a five minute swim/run from Solitude, so lots of opportunity to go into town and socialize and sell stuff when I like. Other than that, I have a great view and lots of fresh air (when I'm not getting a whiff from the smelter). Life is good for the Dragonborn these days.