Skyrim is a vast land with plenty of treasures to collect, quests to accomplish, and adventures to embark on. With all the looting and traveling you end up doing, it’s only natural to seek out some much-needed respite in some safe havens.

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While the vanilla game already includes plenty of homes you can purchase, take ownership of by joining guilds, or build with the Hearthfire DLC, you may still be missing out on that extra level of aesthetic value, storage, and comfort that truly makes a steading feel like a home. Thankfully, there are tons of amazing mods that add breathtaking player homes to Skyrim.

10 Rayek’s End Expanded

Inside the main hallway of the inner layer of Rayek's end, with an enchanting area and library on opposite ends of the hall and a doorway at the end leading to the bedroom
Mod: Rayek's End By Rayek

Get Rayek’s End by Rayek

Rayek’s End is a beautiful little hideaway hidden within the waterfall near Whiterun. You are immediately met with the remains of its former keeper, Rayek, surrounded by displays, a secret shrine of Talos that you can pray to, and some tanning racks. Once you bury him and pay your respects, you may unlock deeper layers of the hideout once you find the "hidden" lever.

The concealed lair is a great space considering how much shady business the Dragonborn gets into. Inside, you can access an indoor bath, an underground garden, various displays for your armor, weapons, and collectibles, and gorgeous sections for reading, smithing, enchanting, cooking, and alchemy. The design mixed with the cave environment is quite fascinating, and the lore tie-ins regarding Rayek are a nifty touch that makes it feel that much more immersive.

9 Dragon’s Keep

Dragons Keep students playing and practicing magic in the playroom, with miniature towers and dragons
Mod: Dragons Keep by ToppDog

Get Dragons Keep by ToppDog

If you are of the firm belief that you can do way better than Charles Xavier, then it’s time for you to take control of Dragon’s Keep. Here, both children and adults hone their potential in magic and gain crucial knowledge in survival and history. Or so we assume, based on how decked out the school is.

Honestly, this is just a nice mod to have so that there’s a place where all those orphans can go without you having to be literally everyone’s parent. You also get to make Skyrim a slightly more wholesome place and you get a snazzy Dragon’s Nest. Its best features include six stabled horses, a great underground armory, a huge kitchen, and mystical mirrors where you can change your appearance for free.

8 Magical College Of Winterhold

A view of the revamped Archmage's Quarters from the Archmage's seat on the long desk filled with notes, books, a map, and other clutter
Mod: Magical College of Winterhold By Sable17

Get Magical College of Winterhold by Sable17

So, you’ve decided to take over the College of Winterhold. It’s seen better years, but thankfully, you can make some much-needed changes to restore its former glory! This mod makes plenty of changes to the layout and design of the College, making it feel more like it’s actually being taken care of and is actively being used as a place of higher learning.

Related: Skyrim: The Best Mods For Magic And Spellcasting

If you use this with the Immersive College mod, you can make it feel even more alive as it gets populated with new potential mages. You get all the amenities that the original layout offers while getting a better starter room and an improved Archmage’s quarters. The Arcaneum also has new stations to craft scrolls and get magical buffs. Finally, you get a ton of materials neatly displayed and ready for enchantment and alchemy while old out-of-place clutter is zapped away.

7 Skystone Castle

two guards stand in the courtyard of Skystone Castle with stairs leading out to the elevated barracks, main entrance, and stables
Mod: Skystone Castle By Lazz

Get Skystone Castle by Lazz

Are vanilla homes not grand enough for you? It sounds like you need an abode fit for royalty. After all, a shack in Riften just won’t do justice to a Dovah that potentially leads every single faction in all the holds.

If you’re a fan of cool castles in games, then you’ll want to nab yourself the Skystone Castle. Sure, it’s a whopping 60,000 gold, but you can’t really expect less for a property of this caliber. To be fair, this price does come with a whole crew of guards that you can command as followers, horses, a bar, all the crafting and storage you need with its plentiful wings, and even a throne that you can sit on with full pretentiousness.

6 Aemer’s Refuge

The Refuge Spirit stands in front of the Tree Chamber surrounded by lanterns and standing stones
Mod: Aemers Refuge By Leanwolf
 

Get Aemer’s Refuge by LeanWolf

Aemer’s Refuge truly lives up to its name, providing a lot of convenience within its grand chambers. You get access to portals that connect all of your player homes, so you can quickly travel with ease. On top of that, you get an auto-sort functionality that can put all of your loot into containers based on item type.

Its extensive and winding Dwemer paths can take some getting used to, but it's been a long-time player favorite because it has everything you need and doesn’t get old to traverse. Its features make it fit for a Dragonborn that has already gotten a few hundred hours under their belt, but even those fresh out of Helgen will find this an aspirational place to take, well, refuge.

5 Portable Homes For The Wandering Dovah

The dragonborn stands inside the Haven Bag, with various chests and piles of gold scattered across the space
Mod: Haven Bag By Haishao

Get Haven Bag by Haishao

Get Home in a Hat by Elianora

Why limit yourself to one space? Harness the power of true portability with either Haven Bag for the Special Edition or Home in a Hat for the Anniversary Edition. The latter is an improved version that adds an extra layer of coziness and functionality, providing a safe haven that you can carry around as a hat.

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It’s a whimsical concept that borderline contradicts the lore at its core, but somehow works if you like a little whimsy in your Skyrim. Either one of the two mods is great, so it just depends on your preferences and the game version you have - due to assets.

4 Elysium Estate

The front of Elysium Estate's exteriors in the daytime
Mod: Elysium Estate by thejadeshadow

Get Elysium Estate by thejadeshadow

Just by Pelagia Farm, you'll come across the cozy Elysium Estate. You will need Kynareth’s blessing to take ownership of the home, but as luck would have it, you just so happen to be the ultimate hero of Skyrim, packed with destiny and dragon souls in your heart.

It’s a great place to set up a family, especially if you have spouse and family mods that you need compatibility with. Even if you’re a lone wolf though, this is a great house mod that is conveniently located in what could be considered prime real estate in this world. It also has all the amenities you need without being too large, with some additional goodies like an outdoor pool and gazebo.

3 Blackthorn

Blackthorn Manor's facade fully rebuilt
Mod: Blackthorn by Ld50365

Get Blackthorn by Ld50365

Blackthorn Manor is a part of the major town rebuilding mod Blackthorn, and it’s a huge endeavor that comes with plenty of build options. Why limit yourself to a home when you can build a whole town?

It’s also a fun way to add more goodwill to your playthrough as you bring the town back to life. In exchange for your efforts, you get new merchants, smithing areas, display options, gardens, and a worthy player home. If you don’t feel like building everything, you can also install a patch that prebuilds Blackthorn so it’s just waiting for your arrival.

2 Aldamar

The yard and entryway of Aldamar shows the mushroom structure surrounded by plants, growing roots, and a scarecrow
Mod: Aldamar by Elianora

Get Aldamar by Elianora

Talk about planting roots. This fun and inviting house mod adds a cozy Telvanni mushroom that’s ready for you to move in. The space is tight, but every nook and cranny is filled with great interior pieces and well-placed clutter that feels right.

You don’t have to worry about things flying all around because the clutter is set in place and has already been assigned container labels. Your loot is easily sorted here, and there’s a small fountain that can remove enchantments and smithing improvements. The ambiance is a charming breather.

1 Aki’s Tower

An exterior view of Aki's Tower, with a ladder resting on the elevated ground that the tower rests on as long leg-like trunks extend to the main ground below
Mod: Aki's Tower by Aki

Get Aki’s Tower by Aki

Aki’s Tower does a great job of reimagining the otherworldly nature of Skyrim. This is a perfect tower for mages and book collectors, but any Dragonborn can enjoy having a tower high up in the sky. It literally looks like the tower came to life and ripped itself up from the ground with trunk-like legs, making for a precarious location that is safe from enemies but risky for the clumsy.

Every little detail adds to the magic, from the long-buried carcasses underneath the tower grounds to the resident ghost that is down to help you in a bind.

Next: Skyrim: Best Horse Mods