Proudspire Manor is the most expensive house in Skyrim, standing on the east side of Solitude next to the Bards College and Vittoria Vici‘s house. It starts out dusty and cobwebbed, but a few thousand septims of renovation turn it into a proper noble’s residence. Walking towards the Blue Palace, it’s the door just before the brazier on your left – or up the steps, the door on the right.
How to get it
- Buy it for 25,000 gold from steward Falk Firebeard after completing The Man Who Cried Wolf and Elisif’s Tribute.
- Owning it is required for Thane of Haafingar.
- Total cost with decorations: 36,000 gold, or 39,000 with the Hearthfire children’s room.
- Housecarl: Jordis the Sword-Maiden.
Upgrades
- Bedroom – 2,000: luxurious bed, weapon rack, chest and a safe with leveled loot, plus a small dining area.
- Living Room – 2,000: table, chairs and plenty of decor.
- Alchemy Lab – 2,500: alchemy table and scattered ingredients.
- Enchanting Lab – 2,500: Arcane Enchanter and two mannequins.
- Kitchen – 1,500: hearth, kettle and food.
- Patio – 500: table and chairs on the back terrace.
- Children’s Room (Hearthfire) – 3,000: two beds, chests, wardrobe and a practice dummy, without sacrificing another room.
What you’ll find
- Displays: 2 weapon plaques, 2 shield plaques, 2 mannequins, 7 weapon racks and 12 bookshelves holding 132 books.
- A Stone of Barenziah and a copy of The Wolf Queen, Book II.
- Flowers outside that regrow after a few game weeks.
Tips
Pros: alchemy and enchanting under one roof, better lighting than Hjerim, a sea view from the patio and the widest choice of shopkeepers in any city. Cons: less storage than Hjerim and no smelter for smiths. Players report you can get the house practically free by stashing your gold in a cupboard while Falk is handing over the key – cheeky, but effective. Leave the patio un-upgraded if you want to use its barrels to climb onto the Bards College balcony.
Good to know
Adopted girls may dream aloud of becoming bards, and Ghorbash the Iron Hand grumbles that all this luxury will spoil the kids. He may have a point.
Details checked against community wiki articles and the Skyrim game files, summarised in our own words.