The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO) has a robust housing system that lets you own, furnish, and decorate your own homes in Tamriel. While some of the fanciest houses can cost a pretty penny in crowns or in-game gold, there are also a number of ways to acquire free houses in ESO!
An Introduction to Housing in ESO
ESO‘s housing system allows you to purchase and own over 100 different homes across Tamriel. These homes come in different sizes and styles:
- Inn Rooms: Small, cozy starter spaces
- Small Homes: Cottages and apartments with the basics
- Medium Homes: Multiroom houses with more space
- Large Homes: Sprawling mansions and villas
- Manors: Massive prestigious housing only available rarely
Houses can be bought directly in the Crown Store using Crowns, or unfurnished versions can be purchased with gold from a special vendor named Soso Loran. The Crown Store houses come fully furnished, while the gold houses do not.
Once you own a house, you can access its Housing Editor interface to decorate and organize furnishings inside. You can also set crafting stations, achievement furnishers, storage chests, and more. Houses unlock tons of fun bonuses!
Now let‘s get into the various ways you can get houses in ESO for free without spending Crowns or gold:
Completing Zone Quests
One of the easiest ways to get a free house is by completing certain major story quests and zone storylines in ESO. Here are a few of the free houses you can earn via questing:
Hall of the Lunar Champion: Finish the main Elsweyr zone story to get this stunning Khajiit-themed manor. It comes with four unlockable furnishing tablets.
Saint Delyn Penthouse: Complete the storyline of Vvardenfell in Morrowind to receive this lavish manor in Vivec City.
Indoril Manor: Finish the Vvardenfell Prelude quests to get this multiroom manor in Vivec City‘s Temple Canton district.
Topal Island Estate: Complete the Summerset Prelude quests to unlock this small home with seaside views.
The Rosy Lion: Help Gavin NernSIST in Southern Elsweyr to get this splendid Orc-inspired mansion.
As you progress and complete more zones, keep an eye out for free housing rewards!
Level Up Rewards
Leveling up in ESO earns you reward boxes with fun loot. Some of these level up rewards include full housing properties! Here are the levels that grant free homes:
Level 43: Receive the Domus Phrasticus as a special level-up reward. It‘s a small but cozy Breton-style house located in Phaer, Stormhaven.
Level 47: Unlock the Velothi Reverie, a modest Dunmer home located just outside Vivec City in Vvardenfell.
Level 64: Get the Cyrodilic Collections Townhouse, a multiroom Imperial City home decorated with Akaviri artifacts.
These homes may be small, but they‘re great freebies just for gaining XP! Plus you can acquire level up rewards on multiple characters.
Giveaways and Events
ESO‘s developers and community team hold all kinds of special events and contests that can award free homes:
Homes Given Away on Livestreams: The devs have gifted everything from tiny inn rooms to sprawling island manors via Twitch drops during their ESO Live shows.
Luxury Furnisher Vendor: This special weekend pop-up vendor appears in Craglorn on a rotating schedule, selling rare furnishings and occasionally free homes.
Housing Brochures: During special events like Anniversary Jubilee, brochures that unlock homes may be obtainable from bosses, daily quests, and gameplay events.
Free Home Updates: With big chapter releases like High Isle, everyone received a free room at the core inn.
Be sure to follow ESO news sites and social media to stay on top of housing giveaways and events!
ESO Plus Membership Perks
Subscribing to ESO Plus grants several monthly membership perks, including access to exclusive homes:
Inn Room: ESO Plus members get a free player room at any inn they frequent. The rooms come furnished with basic amenities.
Forsaken Stronghold: This Dwemer ruin-style home in Clockwork City is free for ESO Plus members.
Barbed Hook Private Room: Plus members get their own cabin on this Blackwood riverboat.
While these homes are locked behind membership, ESO Plus also grants Crowns to spend in the Crown Store. So it enables buyers to purchase more desired homes.
Collectibles and Fragments
Some very special houses in ESO are obtained by collecting fragments over time:
Lonely Tribute: Acquire 12 unique interactable tributes to Malacath across Orsinium to combine them into this Orc longhouse.
Bal Foyen Coastal Cave: Collect 6 cobweb-covered rubbings throughout Stonefalls, then activate this spooky home in Bal Foyen.
Soulfire Dragon Illusion: During special events, collect fragments from bosses and coffers to form this epic floating dragon pet and house!
Grand Psijic Villa: Piece together 7 leaden skull fragments into the key that unlocks this enormous luxury Psijic Order mansion.
Fragment hunts take time, but they are very satisfying ways to unlock awesome free houses!
Upgrading the Free Inn Room
Even brand new players in ESO can immediately acquire a small inn room for free! Here‘s how it works:
Travel to any major city and find the inn building within it. Quest givers out front will offer a basic room quest.
Complete the simple quest to receive a furnished attic space called "The Errant Scoundrel‘s Retreat."
Access your housing editor inside the room and talk to the NPC named "Innkeeper" to purchase a few cheap upgrades.
After buying all upgrades, the basic inn room will convert into a Domus Phrasticus home!
This starter inn room may be cramped, but it‘s a great free introduction to housing for new characters.
Other Awesome Housing Features
Owning and decorating your own homes in ESO unlocks so many fun bonuses and activities:
Primary Residence: Set one house as your primary residence for bonuses like item storage and trophies.
Furnishings: Acquire hundreds of unique furnishings from quests, crafting, vendors, and achievements to decorate and design your home.
Crafting Stations: Have all your crafting tables conveniently in one place inside your home!
Achievement Furnishers: Special vendors will come furnish your home with trophies, collectibles, and mementos you‘ve earned from achievements.
Storage Chests: Enjoy extra storage for housing-only furnishings, collectibles, and more in your homes.
Visitors and Roommates: Let guildmates and friends visit your homes to show off your decorating skills!
Owning even a basic free house unlocks so many extras for enjoying ESO.
Making Gold for Purchasing Homes
While free homes are great, you may eventually want to save up gold to buy some of ESO‘s grander houses. Here are some tips for earning gold quickly:
Complete daily crafting writs from village boards for big gold rewards over time.
Focus on maxing out the most profitable crafts like alchemy and provisioning to sell valuable items.
Join high-traffic guild traders to sell valuable loot and popular crafted goods.
Farm lucrative overland zones like Craglorn, Wrothgar, and Summerset for rare materials, gear, and furnishings to sell.
Take advantage of event opportunities like the Jester‘s Festival to earn exclusive rare items that sell for lots of gold.
With smart gold-making strategies, you can afford your dream house in no time!
Amazing Purchasable Homes to Save For
Here are some of the most gorgeous, unique houses you may want to save up crowns or gold to eventually purchase and own:
Alinor Crest Townhouse – A stunning multiroom Summerset manor with towers, terraces, and water features. Over 1 million gold.
Ebonheart Chateau – Spacious multi-level Morrowind manor with lavish furnishings. 7,500 crowns.
Coldharbour Surreal Estate – Fascinating twisting mansion in a realm of Oblivion. 3,000 crowns.
Grymharth‘s Woe – Magnificent Blackreach cavern with glowing mushrooms. Around 300,000 gold.
Senchal Courtyard Villa – Beautiful Elsweyr home with waterfalls and tropical foliage. 5,500 crowns.
Serenity Falls Estate – Idyllic High Isle villa with breathtaking seaside views. 6,000 crowns.
From coastal villas to creepy cavern manors, ESO has amazing purchasable homes to aspire towards.
Exclusive Crown Store-Only Houses
Some of the most exclusive and prestigious homes in ESO can only be purchased in the Crown Store. While crowns cost real money, here are some ways to get crowns in-game:
ESO Plus membership grants 1650 crowns per month subscribed.
Participate in select events like New Life Festival to earn small crown supplies.
Convert gold into crowns by gifting crown store items to other players.
Rarely, ZOS may give small crown stipends out during server issues.
The Crown Store changes regularly, so keep an eye out for deals on spectacular homes. Popular rare highlights include:
Pyandonean Manor – Huge underwater Sea Elf mansion.
Linchal Grand Manor – Stunning restrained High Elf palace.
Forsaken Stronghold – Unique atmospheric Dwemer home.
Exclusive crown homes rotate in and out of the store, so snag them before they are gone!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many houses can you own in ESO?
There is no limit on the number of homes one character can own. Collect to your heart‘s content!
What is the easiest free house to get?
The inn room only takes minutes to unlock at the start of the game.
How do I set a house as my primary residence?
Use the housing editor interface and browse to the "Settings" tab. Select "Make Primary Residence."
Can I get gold houses cheaper somehow?
You can have a Crown Store house gifted to you in exchange for gold. The exchange rate varies based on economies.
Do I need ESO Plus for free inn rooms?
Nope! The basic inn room quest is available to all players. ESO Plus just unlocks some bonus private rooms.
Can I decorate a house before I buy it?
Yes! Use the housing preview system to test out furnishings and designs before purchasing.
Final Thoughts
Hopefully this guide has given you lots of great insights and tips on how to acquire some stunning free houses in ESO! The housing system provides so much fun and so many bonuses. Start small with your free inn room, then work your way up to larger and more lavish properties. Good luck finding your perfect dream house in Tamriel!
