Homebuyer's Guide

Feeling overwhelmed by the whole concept of owning your own little piece of Eriador?  Our Homebuyer's Guide will break down the process into three simple steps.

STEP 1: Defining What You Want

Start by creating a prioritized list of features you want in your next home and the reasons why. Use it as your search guide, but remember that depending on funding and availability, you will probably need to make some compromises. In addition, think carefully about where you want to live. Location is a huge part of any home purchase.  Visit our Search section for more information!

STEP 2: Figuring Out What You Can Afford

Now that you know what you want, it's time to see what you can afford.  Looking at how much you've saved up is just the first step.  There are three primary tiers of housing - Standard Residential, Deluxe Residential, and Kinship - and three corresponding tiers of price. 

It is also important to sit down and budget both your existing expenses (armour repair, fast travel, regular visits to the Green Dragon) and the furnishing, decorating, and ongoing upkeep expenses you will start to incur when you purchase your home.  Free peoples often underestimate the financial commitment involved in home ownership, and while it may be tempting to pursue a Deluxe Residential on a Standard Residential budget, don't buy more home than you can afford.  Visit our Finance section for more information!

STEP 3: Shopping For Homes

Once you know what community you'd like to live in and have an idea of how much house you can afford, it's time to start checking out actual properties.  Visit our Search section for more information!

Homeowner's Guide

Congratulations on your new home!  You may think that your realty adventure is at an end, but it is only just beginning!  Our Homeowner's Guide will provide tips on what to do next.

New homeowners can access lots of useful information about their home through the Housing Panel in their Character Journal, including house type, address, neighborhood, date purchased, purchase cost, upkeep cost, and amount of upkeep paid, as well as additional information about your neighborhood and the address of your kinship house, if applicable.

Your home provides a peaceful retreat from the growing shadow in the North, but offers many other benefits, too, including additional storage and your own personal mailbox!

Welcome to the Neighborhood

Owning a home makes you part of something bigger - your neighborhood!  Settle in, meet the neighbors, and get to know your neighborhood so you can take advantage of everything it has to offer.  Take a nice leisurely stroll around your neighborhood at dusk - it's a great way to become familiar with your area and its inhabitants.  Most neighborhoods have a stage and seating area for events, so feel free to take advantage of these facilities, and don't be shy about scheduling your own festivities!

Being a member of a community has many advantages.  For example, neighborhoods have local vendors offering various wares - including items to decorate your house - as well as a banker.  You will receive a discount from the vendors in your neighborhood! 

Maintaining your own home's curb appeal is important for the overall appeal of your neighborhood.  As a common courtesy, you should keep your home and yard looking well-tended and attractive.  A fun way to do this is with exterior decorations.

Making Your House a Home

One of the most exciting aspects of home ownership is being able to furnish and decorate your home and express your personality!  What style of wall and floor patterns, furniture, and decorative accessories defines you as an adventurer?  Your local Housing Broker will be happy to get you started with some housewarming accessories, but you'll soon find that there are plenty of options to experiment with, from items made by crafters to trophies fashioned by the taxidermist.  Happy hunting!

Another advantage to home ownership is that of additional storage!  The new home owner has the following potential storage solutions:

• First chest - 100 silver
• Second chest - 500 silver
• Third chest - 2 gold, 500 silver

Standard-sized houses can accommodate 1 chest.  Deluxe houses can accommodate 2 chests, and the full 3 chest storage system is reserved for Kinship housing.

Read what one of Eriador's finest architects has to say about Making Houses into Homes!

Moving and Relocation

There are certain cases where it makes sense to abandon a house. Perhaps you would like to move closer to (or farther away from!) certain relatives, or maybe that cute little hobbit hole that you've always had your eye on suddenly goes back on the market. Then again, perhaps you've decided that the expense and responsibility of home ownership is not for you, and a life camping out under the stars is a better fit. Though such a decision should not be made hastily, you do have the option to abandon your house.

To abandon your current house, open the Housing Panel and select "Abandon House." You'll be asked to confirm your decision, and once you do, you will lose ownership of your home, and, as with foreclosure, all your possessions will be placed in escrow for 1 week.  You will lose your initial purchase investment, as well as all upkeep payments to this point, so consider your options carefully!