Honeyside is the one house you can buy in Riften, tucked into the north-west corner of the city. It’s a moderate-sized home with a porch, dock and garden – one of only two city houses with outdoor space, alongside Proudspire Manor in Solitude. Its back door opens straight onto Skyrim outside the walls, which makes it a favourite for hunters, alchemists, enchanters and anyone who’d rather not walk past the guards.
What you’ll find
- Your housecarl Iona, whose basement room is furnished once you’re made Thane.
- An exterior entry reachable by following the path west of the Riften Stables.
- Tanning rack, cooking spot, alchemy lab and arcane enchanter once upgraded.
- Up to four weapon racks, five weapon plaques, a shield plaque, two mannequins and bookshelves for 72 books.
How to buy it
First prove yourself to the jarl through Skooma Trade, which starts with Wujeeta at the fishery – she wants a healing potion before she talks. Kill her on purpose and the house and title are gone. Then build reputation by helping locals such as Snilf, Edda, Talen-Jei, Balimund, Madesi or Mjoll the Lioness (Grimsever). Usually four or five favours do it. Finally, talk to steward Anuriel (or Hemming Black-Briar if the Legion won the war). The price is 8,000 gold, but she’ll accept as little as 5,000 – she simply takes everything you carry up to 8,000.
Upgrades
- Porch 400 – fishing boat, fish barrels, mead barrel, tanning rack.
- Kitchen 500, Bedroom 600, Garden 800 (ingredients, chickens, thief cache).
- Alchemy Laboratory 1,000 and Enchanting Laboratory 1,000, both in the basement.
- Children’s Bedroom (Hearthfire) 250, or 550 if converting the enchanting lab – which also removes the enchanter and mannequins.
Tips
Want to pay only 5,000? Hand your extra gold to a follower before buying, then take it back. Thieves Guild members get a refilling thief cache in the garden, and fence Tonilia in the Ragged Flagon is a few loading screens away. The nearest smelter is in Shor’s Stone, so carry ingots, not ore.
Good to know
With Hearthfire, adopted kids will chatter about Brynjolf being “nice” – and your spouse may sarcastically praise Riften as perfect for raising little pickpockets. They’re not wrong.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.