• Even reading about people struggling with this quest makes me not want to do it!

(serious amounts of apathy in bekovich atm)

I'm having issues triggering the quest, methinks. Both UESP and TES Wikia say I need to travel to Windhelm at least four times (I've done it way more than that), then enter through the front gate at night and head to the graveyard at roughly 2 A.M.

I've done all this but I've gotten nada. Is it possible that because I finished the Civil War questline and all of the guards are replaced by Imperial soldiers, I can't do the quest? That would be a damn shame.

EDIT: I did some digging and I think I figured out what I need to do but if that doesn't work then I may need help again.

EDIT #2: Because I took over Windhelm for the Empire prior to starting the quest, it's impossible to do. I guess this thread can be locked now because there's really nothing I can do at this point. Bummer.

EDIT #3: Apparently I also can't become Thane of Whiterun nor can I buy a home in Whiterun. [censored] it.

Not sure why yours is bugged.....I do the civil war prior to getting this house everytime since its easier. Its worked both for the imperials and the stormcloaks. After ive done the quest for them, talked to the new jarl (or ulfric depending on your choice of who to join) and then he thanks me and says I can purchase property and one step closer to thane. Once I talk to the steward I can buy the house, and just upon entering, blood on the ice starts.

I talk to the steward but he says there's a bit of nastiness or whatever so I can't buy it.

I made another character on a different PSN profile and I went to Windhelm right away but the quest still won't trigger.

In order for the trigger, you have to exit the cell completely and re enter windhelm at night at least 4 seperate times. This was my first method of activating it and it took two hours from start to finish.

Did you talk to the jarl first before talking to the steward? I had to do that before the option came to buy the house...the steward also said the same thing to me when I went straight to him.

I wasn't even given the option to buy a house. Can I just exit, enter, exit, enter, exit, enter, exit, enter, all in one night?

The option did not appear for me until after I talked to the jarl and let him have his little spiel about the war and that im one step closer to becoming thane.

I had to enter the city and exit at night, but it took me a few tries to figure out the 'correct' way. I had to enter the city from the outside at night and make sure that I fast travelled to a different area like whiterun or something. Basically:

Enter windhelm from the stables at night, fast travel out of the city to white run, teleport back to the windhelm stables at night and re-enter the city. About the 5th time when I went to the graveyard, the guards were there investigating the body. However, this method I used prior to civil war. Once I found out the civil war was the fastest way and I did not have to trigger it like that I havent done it that way since.

If you have completed the full civil war questline and taken over windhelm, and you have spoken with the jarl before the steward and he still doesn't offer the house then you must be bugged. Another possible option is to pickpocket the key from Nilsine and enter the house and activate the quest that way. I have never tried this method but I believe it should activate the same as it would if you walked into the house after you bought it.

I got the 2nd part by
I understand not wanting to read spoilers, but I really recommend you read about (although it sounds like you may already have ) it first to save headaches.