Highlights
- Leyawiin House is a run-down shack that costs way too much, even with upgrades. A scam of an investment.
- Imperial City Shack is ugly and cramped, but at least it's cheap. Upgrade options make it slightly better.
- Bravil House is smelly and not much to look at, but it's more spacious and conveniently located. Could be worse.
A great way to flaunt one’s wealth in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion is to purchase a house. While it’s not essential to snag a home for one’s collections - doubly so since the plug-ins offer fortresses, lairs, and towers to reside in - at least two of them are home to side quests. And, besides, it’s just nice to get on the digital property ladder, since it’s so hard to do in real life.
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There’s pride to be had from being able to buy a brand-new home and stuff it with all sorts of decorations, furniture, and even a servant to really make them feel as comfy as ever, but a house with at least some practicality and benefits is important as well. So, which would be considered the best?
8 Leyawiin House
Even Upgrades Won't Make It Appealing
Count Marius Caro in Leyawiin will sell what he calls “a modest home in the center of town” for 7,000 gold, providing his disposition is +50. The regal swine is a liar, as the home is a run-down shack that costs significantly more than a shack in the Imperial City.
Even after purchasing another 7,000 gold’s worth of upgrades, it doesn’t look that much comfier or more appealing than before. The interior is made up of one big room with a few walls separating areas, and the additional privacy screens and paintings are nice, but otherwise useless compared to more important features like barrels for containing things. That being said, it’s a scam of an investment and a waste of cash.
7 Imperial City Shack
It May Be Small And Ugly, But At Least It's Cheap
With a disposition of over 50 and 2,000 gold on hand, Vinicia Melissaeia in the Office of Imperial Commerce (located in the Imperial City Market District) will offer the key to a shack down at the Waterfront, and… it’s ghastly. What’s to be expected from the poverty-ridden docking area? It’s cramped, ugly, and probably would smell a bit. At least it’s technically the cheapest, so players will know what they’re getting.
Like with Leyawiin’s home, the shack is made up of one single room. For those who want to store their goods, about 2,000 gold’s worth of upgrades can be spent to properly spruce it up. None of it will make it look much better, though at least one container is enough to store as many items as required. At least it gives an accurate representation of what it’s like living in poverty, especially since one would go 4,000 gold down the toilet after splashing out on everything.
6 Bravil House
Not Much Of An Improvement Compared To The Others, Except It Costs Even More
Chatting with Count Regulus Terentius, provided he thinks highly of the Hero, will open up the opportunity to acquire a home in Bravil for 4,000 gold. “It's not much to look at,” he openly says, “but the smell will soon make you forget how ugly it is.” Either way, it comes with a notable benefit compared to the aforementioned Imperial City Waterfront shack: twice the space.
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Indeed, the house isn’t easy on the eye, but it’s a bit more spacious to move around in. Weapon racks for large, two-handed weapons are a nice addition, and it’s beside the home of a Thieves Guild fence for selling stolen goods with ease. 3,900 gold of upgrades mostly fills the house with clutter, though. On the whole, it’s a far sight better than the others, though there are far better options. Besides, one shudders to think of living in such a home with a supposedly nasty smell permeating the air.
5 Bruma House
Compact And Cozy, A Lovely Choice With A More Affordable Price Tag
Should one get on Countess Narina Carvain’s good side, a home in Bruma will be made purchasable for 10,000 gold (along with over 9,900 gold’s worth of upgrades). This is the point where the houses start to look far more comfy and homely, and this one is no less different.
Even if rugs and tapestries are useless ornaments, they make what is an already impressive home even more so. Dressers, shelves, and cupboards offer many different places to store goods, which is great, considering the Thieves Guild’s first doyen, Ongar The World-Weary, lives nearby. A lack of additional lighting, or even a fireplace in such a cold environment, are questionable design choices, yet this is a stellar set of accommodations on the border of the province of Skyrim.
4 Arborwatch, Chorrol
Much Prettier To Look At, If A Tad Excessive With Its Additional Features
For the costly price of 20,000 gold, alongside a notably high Disposition with Countess Arriana Valga and at least 12 points of Fame or more, Arborwatch in Chorrol can be purchased. There’s no denying the quality of this accommodation, as it looks fancy and illustrious. A hefty 19,400 gold on average will fill it up with the usual furniture, garnishes, and such.
The upper levels offer a servant’s quarters, though no servant can be recruited to the cause, making it a pointless inclusion since there are beds available in the suite at the top. Again, nothing too practical comes out of flaunting wealth with excess rooms, yet there’s no denying such an establishment looks and feels fit for a wealthy hero.
3 Benirus Manor, Anvil
Once Cleared Of Its Ghosts, It's A Very Cheap All-In-One Deal And A Lovely Set Of Digs
Benirus Manor is great for several reasons. For starters, it’s cheap, at only 5,000 gold. It’s also home to a brilliant quest, "Where Spirits Have Lease," whereby the home is revealed to be haunted! Upon finishing the quest and removing the curse, the once-dilapidated home will be refurbished and transformed into a much brighter place with repaired furniture and not a single speck of dust or cobweb. However, any items stored in the house before it’s exorcized must be removed, or they’ll all be removed from the game - a frustrating glitch, for sure.
What’s even better about the comfortable abode is that no other furnishings need to be purchased. It’s an all-in-one package, which is understandable, considering Velwyn Benirus is fully aware of its shady past and undead “guests.” With just enough space to move around, it’s a stellar choice for anyone who wants a lovely home without breaking the bank.
2 Cheydinhal House
Its Compact Design Is Actually Beneficial
With 15,000 gold in the protagonist’s purse, and a silver tongue to persuade Count Andel Indarys, the house-for-sale in Cheydinhal may seem a bit on the compact and claustrophobic side, yet it offers some really helpful features.
The house is a two-storey building, with a balcony to leap off of for quick movement. Plus, with 13 containers all within proximity, it makes stashing and rifling through items a breeze. Roughly 15,000 gold’s worth of additional decoratives is also available for those keen on splashing out a bit here. It strikes a fine balance between practicality and looks, even with its cramped design.
1 Rosethorn Hall, Skingrad
Display Cases, A Servant, Secret Jewels Stashed Away, Rooms Galore - It's The Perfect Oblivion House
Rosethorn Manor is the most expensive house in all of Oblivion. It has a big price tag, set at 25,000 gold. Alongside this, the Orc butler Shum gro-Yarug must be on very good terms with the player, and 15 points of Fame is also required. The manor in question is a big, beautiful place, with stairs heading to the basement and upper quarters. Fully upgraded, there will be display cases to show off the nicest pieces of equipment, a hirable servant who can offer an unlimited supply of shepherd’s pie and special mead, food to use as alchemical ingredients, and all sorts of other pretty things sprucing up the area.
Interestingly, it’s home to a quest involving a hidden cache of gems from decades ago - the riddle that hints at the stash’s location is a clever one. Another noteworthy detail is that, while it’ll cost approximately 23,200 gold to refurbish it completely, one of them can be pinched from a table in the Surilie Brothers' home. Interesting details and inclusions like these alongside everything else make it a most extravagant bit of property to sink a boatload of coins into. It is, quite simply, the ultimate house. Ah, home sweet home…
