Pick Up All Housing Items Wizard101 Gardening

How to unlock, buy, and decorate housing in Final Fantasy 14

(Image credit: Square Enix)

The FFXIV housing system can be complicated to get your head around, especially as house plots are limited. That said, the investment is worth it as the furnishings and decorating tools are really expressive. So here I'll be running you through everything you need to know about FF14 housing, including how to unlock it, the different available plots, and how to buy and decorate your swanky new property.

FFXIV housing: How to unlock property

There are four housing districts in total: the leafy Lavender Beds near Gridania, the beach neighborhood of the Mist near Limsa Lominsa, the desert spa of the Goblet near Ul'dah, and the hotsprings of Shirogane near Doma. To reach these areas first you need to unlock them by talking to an NPC for each area and do a quick quest.

Lavender beds: Speak to Margeria at Bentbranch Meadows in Central Shroud
Goblet: Speak to Imme at Scorpion Crossing in Western Thanalan
Mist: Speak to Ahctkoen at the Red Rooster Stead in Lower La Noscea
Shirogane: Speak to Tsurubami in Kugane (You need to have reached the Stormblood expansion to unlock this area)

FFXIV housing types

You can buy a personal space just for you or a building for your Free Company (FC) to share in several different sizes, but they can be quite expensive. Here's a breakdown of each type and their restrictions:

Apartments: A small, single-floor room that costs 500,000 gil. You need to have one class at level 50 and be a second lieutenant in your grand company to purchase one. You can buy an apartment as well as a house and they're so numerous your basically guaranteed to find an available one. Cannot be used for Free Companies.
Small plot: Two-story building with a garden that costs anywhere between 1,488,000- 3,750,000gil depending on location.
Medium plot: Approximately twice the size of a small house set over three floors that costs 7,936,000-20,000,000gil depending on location.
Large plot: Also has three floors but at a much larger scale and with a bigger garden. Costs 19,840,000-50,000,000gil depending on location and is the rarest type of plot.
Private Chambers: A small room within a Free Company building that can be purchased for 500,000gil. You can still buy one of you own an apartment and your own house, but if you leave the Free Company you will lose your room.

ffxiv housing prices ideas — (Image credit: Square Enix)

FFXIV housing permit: How to buy a plot

Now you've chosen the type of plot you want depending on your budget, how do you actually buy it? Here's how:

Travel to your desired area and physically stand outside the plot.
Approach the billboard outside it and select 'Purchase land'.
Choose whether the plot is for your FC, or private for you.

Now you've secured the plot, you'll need to grab a construction permit to actually build on it. Go to the Social menu and drop down to 'Housing' and then 'Estate Hall'—from here you can buy a permit and the style of building you want, such as stone or wood. Next, select 'Build Estate Hall' and your building is complete.

Be wary, though: FF14 housing is hugely competitive, so free plots are scarce and others may be trying to buy a plot at the same time. That said, plots are sometimes added during patches, so keep an eye out. You're also limited to one personal house per account to prevent people buying up whole wards on multiple characters. You may also have to take a timer into account—when a plot is vacated, there's a countdown until it becomes available.

ff14 housing items ideas — (Image credit: Square Enix)

FFXIV housing items and ideas: How to decorate

Now it's time to personalise your new abode. All decorating and customising can be done from 'Housing' in the Social menu. To change the floors, walls, and lighting, select 'Remodel Interior' and place your items onto your chosen floor. To place furniture select 'Indoor Furnishing' and choose an item from your inventory to place—you'll be able to move and rotate it to find the perfect spot before confirming. You can also place it into storage for future revamps.

You can also choose who can access your house in 'Guest Access Settings' as well as give your house a name ('Rename Estate') and change its exterior to another building type, be that tasteful stonemasonry or a Chocobo theme under 'Estate Settings'.

Furnishing can be found in several places, though most of it is crafted. For a good basic selection talk to a Housing Merchant to find a range of walls, beds, and tables.

final fantasy xiv housing guide — (Image credit: Square Enix)

How to move or demolish your house

If you fancy a change of scenery, or even an upgrade, it's relatively simple to move. You'll have to find an empty plot, interact with the placard and select 'Purchase Land' then 'Private Residence/Free Company Estate Relocation'. You will have to pay for the new plot but you get a 30 percent of the minimum value of your old plot. You also get priority as moving can circumvent timers on fresh plots. Your furnishings will be placed in the storeroom as you move for you to place again.

If you need to demolish your house ahead of a server move, you can do so by going to 'Estate Settings' then 'Relinquish Land', but you'll lose any money you paid for the plot when doing so. Your plot will be auto-demolished if you don't access it for 45 days, though your items and some compensation for the land will be held for you by the Resident Caretaker in each ward for a limited time.