Skyrim Anniversary Edition Spoiler - The Best Player Homes for a Survival Run

 The anniversary edition adds a number of Creation Club player homes designed to enhance role play. Because survival mode removes most forms of fast travel some of these homes are unfortunately less than convenient. This is a subjective list of homes I found useful. It assumes players have all Creation Club content installed but I include non CC options as well. 

Shadowfoot Sanctum

This Creation Club home is my personal favourite but my character for this run is a dual dagger wielding thief/assassin. Located in the Ratway in Riften, it offers full amenities including a smelter which the Riften blacksmith lacks and easy access in and out. The hired carriage is close by. Riften is a fishing town which means lots of food and salt pile for the scrounging. It's fully furnished at 7500 gold which makes it cheaper than upgrading Riften city home Honeyside. Players can make use of a free bed and a cooking pot at the boarding house while saving gold for the purchase. On the downside, Riften is a long challenging trip early game  and the player must at least join the Thief's guild to buy the home. There is an expansive display room but the living area is quite compact and storage is a bit limited. If you have the patience to complete the Thief's Guild quest line the world benefits make this one of the best survival player homes.

Breezehome

Whiterun's Breezehome is hard to beat for players wanting to jump into the main quest line. This house comes available from Whiterun's steward after completing Bleak Fall's Barrow at a cost of 5000 gold before upgrades. In the meantime, there is a free bed in a damaged cabin to the west of Whiterun but no cooking pot or fire. However it's easy enough to pay for food and lodging at the inn by selling firewood. Joining the Companions is another option while collecting the gold. Breezehome is conveniently located next to a full service blacksmith right inside the gate and comes with Lydia the famous housecarl and follower once the quest Dragon Rising is completed. Dragon Rising also activates dragons. Fully upgraded it's only lacking an arcane enchanter but one can be found in the mage's quarters in Dragonreach. Players who would like to make Whiterun their home base but avoid the main quest line completely should check out the description for Tundra Homestead Creation later in the article. 

Windstad Manor

All the Hearthfire homes have the same advantages and disadvantages but this one stands out for location alone. It's not the most hospitable region but it's close to Solitude and Morthal. Hearthfire homes aren't the easiest to acquire. They require completing a quest and cost 5000 gold for the land alone never mind the gold and resources needed to construct and furnish one. It's worth building at least the base home and hiring a steward to get the carriage driver. That opens up transportation to smaller settlements for a one time cost of 500 gold. Unfortunately the carriage only goes one way but in this case if you can get a carriage back to Solitude or Morthal it's a fairly short journey to Windstad Manor. There is also the option of a fish hatchery. If you like fish. Speak to the Jarl in Morthal to get the quest.

Lakeview Manor

Another Hearthfire constructible home located near Falkreath. This makes a great base while completing the Assassin's Brotherhood quest line. The quest is given by the Jarl in Falkreath.

Heljarchen Hall

The third Hearthfire home is located between Dawnstar and Whiterun. The quest for this one is given by the Jarl of Dawnstar but Whiterun has the closest carriage for hire. I also keep forgetting that you can travel between Dawnstar, Windhelm and Solitude by boat.

Goldenhills Plantation

You would think that a farm would be the ultimate survival mode home but this Creation Club addition happens to be one of the more inconvenient places to get to and from. Once discovered just outside of Rorikstead the player can get ownership by solving a short quest line but the farm has some of the disadvantages of Hearthfire homes without the one big advantage. You will need to hire a steward and invest some gold and resources into the property but there is no carriage driver. The closest hired carriages are in Markarth and Whiterun and only a Hearthfire carriage goes to Rorikstead. The property does generate income and food so is definitely worth investing in. There's nothing wrong with roleplaying a farmer, selling wares in Rorikstead and exploring the area on horseback. As far as I can tell, it's very safe place to raise the kids although you'll have to give up a display room for a children's bedroom. If you need a place to store and display collectibles, the Nordic warrior themed Creation Club hall Hendraheim is not too far away. The quest for Hendraheim is delivered by courier at the first city visited. 

Note: My hired steward wanders back to Whiterun but I have been able to collect revenue from her there. Players have reported this behaviour with various NPCs so if your steward goes missing look in the location you hired them.

Myrwatch

You can turn Windstad Manor into a wizard's lair but Myrwatch Creation is just outside Morthal. Discovery and a fairly easy quest is all that's needed. Look for Han's journal. This is a two level tower home with a beautiful display room for collectibles. It offers all the amenities plus an all forge and a staff enchanter and combines with Windstad Manor really well. Unfortunately the ultimate mage base is a long carriage ride to Winterhold and without Windstad Manor the nearest transportation is in Solitude. Poor Winterhold is really out there in the cold. To get back from Winterhold mages just have to bundle up and walk or ride to Dawnstar or Windhelm.

Tundra Homestead

Definitely move this one up the list if wishing to operate from Whiterun before progressing the main quest line. Tundra Homestead Creation is located just to the east of Whiterun and is available for purchase for 7500 gold from the Whiterun steward. It's a little more expensive than Breezehome but comes fully furnished with all amenities. This setup works well with  Heljarchen Hall. The living and display areas are rather compact though.

Windhelm

So much happens around Windhelm that I have included a few options here. In survival mode booking passage on the Northern Maiden from Windhelm is the only way to get to Solstheim. Plus it has the closest carriage for hire to Winterhold and a boat for hire to Dawnstar and Solitude. The whole area is usually freezing especially at night so food and shelter is a major consideration here. The availability of city home Hjerim for purchase is dependent on choices made during the civil war quest line and requires allying with one side or another. See Skyrim:Hjerim - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) for details. It is possible to gain access to Hjerim during the Blood on Ice quest. There's only a bed to sleep in but it is warm inside. Safe storage is available at the Riverside Shack on the riverbank just south of Windhelm and Kynesgrove. There is a unowned bed and a warm fire but no cooking pot and a bear spawns there. 

Gallows Hall Creation is the most intriguing player home. The entrance is located right on the north edge of Mara's Eye Pond. The pond is on an elevated area to the south west of Windhelm. On entry read Naara's journal lying near the dead mage and solve a puzzle to gain access to the adjoining area. On top of the usual amenities Gallows Hall offers perks for Necromancers such as a bone forge and an alter to convert greater or grand soul gems into black soul gems. Creepy but pretty cool.

Severin Manor

Severin Manor is still the only available player owned home on Solstheim and it is worth acquiring if planning to spend time on Dragonborn add on content. Traveling back and forth from Windhelm by boat every time you get close to encumbered is a pain. The quests The Final Descent, March of the Dead and Served Cold must be completed to get access.

There are a few more interesting homes that are worth discovering and investigating even though not the most convenient to travel back and forth to. For more details on player owned homes, guild bases, marriageable NPC property owners, unowned beds and safe storage refer to Skyrim:Houses - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP) or Category:Skyrim-Places-Safe - The Unofficial Elder Scrolls Pages (UESP)