How to Buy a House in Final Fantasy XIV

Buying a house is easily one of the most challenging parts of Final Fantasy XIV. It requires time, diligence, and every gamer's "favorite" algorithm: RNG. But don't fret, keep reading to learn how you can land your very own place to call home.

How to Buy a House in Final Fantasy XIV

First, you've got to have the money. Costs will vary depending on size and location. Small plots range from 3 million to 3.75 million gil. Mediums range from 16m to 20m and larges from 40m to 50m. Once you purchase the land, you’ll also need to purchase the building permit from the housing menu. For small lots, this is 450,000 gil. If you relocate to a larger plot, your house will automatically upgrade in size, and an additional permit is not needed. 

That can seem like an impossible amount of gil, but just the main story quests alone pay very well. Leveling up crafters/gatherers or flipping items on the market board are other great ways to build your bank even more. House prices also decrease every ten hours that they are available. Once you've got your coins, you're ready to start house-hunting!

Residential Districts

You will gain access to the residential districts of each major city with the completion of the level 5 quest Home is Where the Heart Is. Once cleared, you can use the Residential menu from the Aetheryte. This is where you will check for housing plots that have become available. Each residential district is comprised of 24 Wards, with 60 plots each. They have very different vibes as well, so take a stroll around each to see which fits your style. 

First Time Buyers

For your first house, aim for a small one. Most M/Ls will be gone before you even know they're open. When a plot opens up there is an automatic, RNG-based timer that is applied to the plot—dictating when the plot can be purchased. In FFXIV, this is called the invisible timer, which can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 24 hours. Unfortunately, there is no way to know how much time is left before it pops. 

Note: The only times you can bypass this timer is if you are relocating from a plot you already own, or if new wards are being released.

As a first-time buyer, you should expect to spam-click on placards until the invisible timer pops. Most houses typically sell around the 12-hour mark after they open (plus or minus two hours), so the window from 10 hours to 14 hours is referred to as primetime. Primetime is considered the best time to spend clicking on a placard. However, the timer truly is random, so the system creates very stiff competition.

Your best bet for a personal house is to show up to the placard 10 hours after it’s been up on the market and begin clicking, trying to be the first to purchase it. If you are in the market for a Free Company house, try splitting up the gil so you can have more people clicking. This will increase your chances of being the first when the timer pops.

If you manage to make it past the invisible timer, congratulations, the world is yours! If camping plots isn't your thing, you can always wait until new wards are released. Upon release, the invisible timers don't exist, creating an all-out race amongst players on patch days. There is even an entirely new district being teased for the upcoming Endwalker expansion. With a little luck, you're sure to find the place of your dreams. Happy hunting! 

For more Final Fantasy XIV content, check out our guide on How to Unlock the Hildibrand Quests in FFXIV!