Changes

If you place it wrong or build it wrong many of mistakes like these mistakes can not be fixed and you will have wasted a lot of effort.

* If you are in the mood to build something that will have permanence and will benefit you in the long-run, and will allow you to store items you find securely then consider first building a [[large cart]]. Large carts can hold a lot of stuff, can be dragged around and relocated, can be securely locked if you make a lock [[large padlock]] for it (don’t forget to do this), and you will eventually want one anyway so will be useful for the rest of the game. Think of them like a mobile home  . [[Small carts ]] do not provide these security advantages so be aware if you build one of these. * Next get your [[carpentry]] to level 8 minimum before you even think about building. Carpentry level 8 will allow you to build a 2x1 size house. Too many people rush at carpentry 5 to build a house and end with a 1x1 shack that is just too small to be useful. If you need to raise carpentry try building the large cart first and/or build wood items like a [[clay shaper]], and improve them. You can even wait longer and get to carpentry 12 to make a 2x2 house. * First, before you choose a location, are you interested in joining an existing [[settlement]]? If so ask some people there or ask in general chat if any settlements are looking for new recruits. This can make a lot of location problems a non-issue since you will already be settling on an established deed. If you will not be settling on an established deed then read on!

* Next get your [[carpentry]] to level 8 minimum before you even think about == Be aware the risks of building. Carpentry level 8 will allow you to build on a 2x1 size housenon-deeded area. Too many people rush at carpentry 5 to build a house and end with a 1x1 shack that is just too small to be useful. If Hint: you need to raise carpentry try building the large cart first and/or build wood items like spindles etc, and improve themcould basically lose everything. == You can even wait longer and get to carpentry 12 to make a 2x2 house.

* Most people build their first house on a non-deeded area. This is understandable since most people start the game as F2p. Additionally most players will respect other players houses and not deed too close but this isn't always true. In some cases the other player may simply think your house is abandoned, or he may have been scouting that area for a long time and feels justified deeding it. Either way it is important to understand what this means. First are you interested in joining While it is not possible for a player to deed an area over an existing settlement? If so ask some people there or ask in general chat if any settlements are looking player's house, it is possible for new recruitsthem to deed an area close by, and have their perimeter run right up to your house. Then after they have settled, they can expand their perimeter over your place. This Again they can make never actually expand their village border over your house and claim it, but once they have expanded their perimeter over your place, this causes a lot very increased decay rate of location problems your house to a nonpoint where it will be very difficult for you to maintain it.  Once someone has expanded their perimeter over your house, it is pretty much over for your dwelling at that point, though you do have some options. One would be to simply ask the player to join his deed thus making you better off than you were before assuming they are friendly and reasonable. The other is to politely ask them to re-issue since you size and pull their perimeter back. This will cost them silver to do though and will already cost them the wasted silver they used expanding it in the first place, so it should not be settling expected that they would do this. You can always try to take your matter to a GM but it is unclear how they will handle this. It will likely depend what server you are on an established , and what the intentions of the deedowners were. If you will not  In summary, be settling aware the risks involved of building on an established non-deeded area. My advice is to simply make your first house small, away from others, and don't get too attached to it. That way you can later deed then read on! it if you want, but won't be devastated if the worse-case scenario happens.

With this I mean analyze your location before plunking down. A common mistake newbies make is building too close to someone else’s house, or perimeter. If you do that you will never be able make a deed later on to encapsulate your house and you may upset your neighbors in the even event they had expansion plans. Additionally you run the risk of them expanding their perimeter over your place as mentioned above. I did this with my first house and it was frustrating because I put a lot of time and pride into that first house and later realized it could never be deeded on a settlement of my own since I built it too close to both another house and another settlement’s perimeter. Double click on the ground to see if it is in someone else’s territory then start counting from there how many tiles away you want it.

* If you don’t want to join an existing settlement then at minimum make Make sure any house tile of yours is at least 10 tiles between your house and : 1) any other settlement’s [[perimeter, ]]; and 2) anyone else’s house. That way you can settle it on claim the area later with your own [[deed later ]] if you wish. 10 is the bare minimum though and that is cutting it close. You may want to go further out just in case they expand their territory. And if your hope is that one day your new house might be the exact center of your own settlement then you will want to build out even furtheraway. If you do eventually plop down a [[settlement token]] it will be a minimum 5 tiles deeded in every direction, and an additional 5 for the perimeter . So Including your center tile this will result in an area of 10 tiles out from the center of your settlement which needs to be free in order to make it your own claimed territory.

* Take Consider what you are looking for in a look around before you buildlocation. Do you want a mine but don’t want to eventually make dig a permanent settlement herehuge hole in the ground looking for rock? Then build by one of the public mines or areas with exposed rock. Even if you don’t know it can’t hurt to plan toward thisLike fishing and boating? Then look by the water, etc. See if there will be room to expand Take your time and build find a fenced area and or eventual settlement around or behind good dream location. You can’t undo the location of your house once youplace it down. If But you do eventually plop down a settlement token it will be at minimum 5 tiles deeded in every direction, and an additional 5 for can modify the perimeter terrain any way you wish given enough time. So Including your center tile this will result in an area of 10 tiles out from the center of your settlement which needs to be free Don’t worry about building near water for drinking purposes. in order to make it Later on you can build a well or fountain on your own claimed territoryplace.

* Consider what you are looking for in a locationDon’t rule out abandoned places. Do you want a mine but don’t want to dig a huge hole in the ground looking for rock? Then build by one A lot of the public mines or areas with exposed rockhave been settled and then abandoned long ago leaving large areas of nicely terraformed land. Like fishing If their buildings and boat? Then look by the water, etc. Take your time and find a good dream locationdeeds are gone you can move in. You can’t undo While this takes some of the location thrill out of your house once you [[terraforming]] the place from scratch, it down. But will most likely already have plenty of flat land which makes it much easier if you can modify the terrain any way you wish given enough timeare new and want to build. Don’t worry about building near water for drinking purposes. Later on you You can build a well or fountain on then terraform it later and radically redesign it in your own placeimage.

* Don’t rule out abandoned places. A lot of areas have been settled and then abandoned long ago leaving large areas of nicely terraformed land. If their buildings and deeds are gone == Plan your fencing correctly, or you can move in. While this takes some of the thrill will get locked out of terraforming the place from scratch, it will most likely already have plenty of flat land which makes it much easier if you are new and want to build. You can then terraform it later and radically redesign it in your own imagehouse.==

Don’t make the mistake I did when I first built and have an enclosed [[fence]] that surrounds your house. Because if you die and are unable to retrieve your body and lose the key to your gate fence, you cannot get back in to your house since you can’t get past the locked gate! You also won’t be able to knock the fence down either if you are new or f2p since you need a [[body strength]] of 21 to knock down fences or walls. * If you are not on a deed either make a separate enclosed gated area where you can farm etc, or ideally make a front and back door on your house. Then have your house be the “gate” to the enclosed fence area that is connected to it. That way you can always get in and out of both your house since you don't need a key for that in a worst case scenario where you die and lose everything and can't retrieve your corpse.  * If you have access to [[copper]] then you can always copy your keys and put the spares in a bank to address this issue also. * If you are the mayor of your own deed this isn't an issue since you can always get past locked gets on your own territory. == Plan your fencing house correctly, or you will get locked out waste a lot of time and effort. == Once you build your house, that's it... You cannot move it or knock down a wall and expand it (though I heard house expansion will possibly be a future option). == So really take time and think about what size you want, how doors you want, how many windows, what material etc.  * You can later knock down individual walls with body strength 21, but only to replace them with another wall.

Don’t make the mistake I did * Another thing you don't realize when I first built and have an enclosed fence you are surrounding your housenew is that you don't necessarily need to rush to build a roof. Because if If you die and lose leave the key to your gate fence roof off you cannot get back in to can later build additional floors on top of it as your house since you can’t get past the locked gate! carpentry rises. You also won’t be able to knock the fence down either if you are new or f2p since you need Though having a body str of 21roofless house does make it not so homely.

* Either make an enclosed gated areas where you can farm etc, separate from your A good strategy is to first build a small starter house or ideally make a front and back door on your houseoptimal location. Then have after you deed it work on your house be the “gate” to the enclosed fence area that is connected to it. That way you can always get in dream mansion, and out of have both your house and fenced area in a worst case scenario. Just make sure to put a back door gate on your fenced area though in case you want to later on lead in animals or park your carts.

* If you have access == Now on to copper then you can always copy your keys and put the spares in a bank to address this issue alsobuilding.==

Ok now that you have all this planning done, time to build! For that you can consult other articles on here on the process of actually building, such as this one: [[The "how do I build a house?" guide.Guides:Build_House|House Building Guide]] . Good luck!