Forum: gaming.stackexchange.com
Tags: <the-elder-scrolls-5-skyrim>
Title: Is there a way to get a free house in skyrim?
Question: I love to play Skyrim, but I am broke. I can't seem to get enough money for the cheapest one I know of, the one In Whiterun. Does anyone know of a cheaper one or a way I can get a free one?

Answers:
sents: text: SPOILERS AS FOLLOWS
text: The only one I can think of is the ArchMage Hall in the College of Winterhold.
text: It is free (you must complete a quest line to get it though), but it is not really a house, more of a huge room, many chests, an ingredient garden (alchemy) a bed, and lots of loot and potions.
text: It also has an alchemy table and an enchanting table (plus lots of soul gems).
text: It has the same setting of a house, and is even bigger/better than most.
text: Also, it does not require any DLC to obtain it.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/9608/Shadow Z.
score: 7
sents: text: You can get a free house in Solstheim if you have Dragonborn installed and you stop an assassination.
text: You could squat in the Abandoned_House or one of the other safe places .
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/1327/Zoredache
score: 7
sents: text: There is a glitch that allow you to get a house in town for free when becoming Thane: Talk to the steward about the house, say yes and then quickly go to the nearest container and place all of your gold before the steward finishes the dialogue.
text: You should get the book and key, now take the gold back from the container.
text: NOTE:
text: In all the city palaces, make sure to find the nearest container and use Slow Time shout if you need help.
text: Here are some near containers in Cities Markarth:
text: Dwarven chest next to the steward.
text: Solitude: Cupboard next to Falk.
text: Whiterun:
text: Drawers in the courtroom [Use Slow Time or Whirlwind Sprint], chest in the maproom, and other containers in steward's bedroom.
text: Windhelm: Containers in kitchen
text: [Use Slow Time or Whirlwind Sprint].
text: Riften:
text: Chests left and right of the court.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/125410/Jim
score: 4
sents: text: By the way, you can wait and collect 5000 septims.
text: Talk to the steward to buy a home, and after confirming, quickly exit while he is still speaking and store all your money in the closest chest, barrel or cupboard.
text: When the steward has finished to speak, the game will try take you 5000, but he can't because you don't have them.
text: You can still get the key and enter the house.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/64959/Vinz243
score: 2
sents: text: There are some free houses in the game, but you need to complete certain guild questline to get a free house.
text: College of Winterhold:
text: Arch Mage's Quarters.
text: Dark Brotherhood: Dawnstar Sanctuary.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/127996/Jim Jones
score: 2
sents: text: This is similar to, but not the same as, the Arch Mage's Quarters mentioned in a couple answers already.
text: For that you have to go through an entire quest line.
text: If you merely start the College quest
text: line(gain access to the college)
text: , you get a cubicle in the Hall of Attainment with a bed and a number of safe storage containers excluding the barrels.
text: Across the way in the Hall of Attainment you can find both an alchemy lab with lots of free ingredients and an arcane enchanter with a number of free soul gems both empty and full.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/181987/Jtenorj3
score: 1
sents: text: I just befriended Uthgerd the Unbroken
text: and she became my companion and gave me her house key.
text: Even if she dies you get to keep the house and store all your stuff in.
text: It's in Whiterun.
answer_details: author: gaming.stackexchange.com/users/241482/Severus40k
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
 There are some free houses in the game, but you need to complete certain guild questline to get a free house. The only one I can think of is the ArchMage Hall in the College of Winterhold.
It seems that there are ways to get a free house in Skyrim, mostly as a reward after completing certain quest lines.