OSRS How to Build a House A Comprehensive Guide

Building a player-owned house (POH) in Old School RuneScape (OSRS) is an exciting way to showcase your Construction skill while creating a functional and personalized hub. Whether you want a teleportation network, a training ground, or a social space, your POH can do it all. This guide covers everything you need to know about building a house in OSRS, from purchasing your first plot to designing an efficient layout. Let’s get started on crafting your dream home in Gielinor!

Getting Started with Your Player-Owned House

The Construction skill is members-only, so you’ll need an active membership to begin. Your POH starts as a simple plot, but with the right materials and planning, it can become a powerhouse of utility. Here’s how to lay the foundation.

Purchasing Your House

To own a POH, visit an Estate Agent in one of these cities: Varrock, Falador, Seers’ Village, East Ardougne, Hosidius, or Kourend. They sell starter houses for 1,000 coins, located in Rimmington by default. For budget-conscious players, completing the miniquest Daddy’s Home grants a free house, saving you that initial cost. Speak to Marlo in Varrock’s Estate Agent office to start the quest.

Accessing Your POH

Once you own a house, you can enter it via house portals, marked with a house icon on the world map. Here are the main ways to get there:

• Teleport to House Spell: Requires level 40 Magic (1 Law, 1 Air, 1 Earth rune).
• House Teleport Tablet: Buyable on the Grand Exchange for quick access.
• Walking: Head to the Rimmington portal or other city portals if you’ve relocated your house.

Pro Tip: In House Options, enable “Teleport Inside” to spawn directly inside your POH when using tablets, saving time.

Why Build a POH?

A POH isn’t just a status symbol—it’s a game-changer. Benefits include:

• Teleportation Hub: Portal Chambers and Nexus for instant travel.
• Skill Training: Altars, workshops, and kitchens for boosting Prayer, Construction, and Cooking.
• Storage: Costume Rooms and Menageries to free up bank space.
• Restoration: Ornate Rejuvenation Pools to restore stats and health.

Mastering Building Mode

Building Mode is where the magic happens. It lets you add rooms, furniture, and decorations to your POH. Understanding how it works is key to efficient construction.

Enabling Building Mode

To start building, enter your house and activate Building Mode using one of these methods:

• Right-click the house portal and select “Enter in Building Mode.”
• Go to Settings > House Options and toggle Building Mode ON.

In Building Mode, hotspots appear as ghostly outlines, indicating where you can build furniture or add rooms. You can’t drop items, have pets out, or allow guests in this mode, so plan your builds in advance.

Essential Tools

Keep these tools in your inventory for most construction tasks:

• Hammer: Used for general building tasks.
• Saw: Required for woodworking (a Crystal Saw adds a +3 boost to furniture builds).
• Watering Can: Needed for planting trees or plants in gardens.

Note: Always carry a hammer and saw, as they’re required for nearly all furniture and room construction.

Gathering Materials for Construction

Construction is one of the most expensive skills in OSRS, so efficient material gathering is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of what you’ll need and where to get it.

Core Materials

The backbone of Construction is planks, which you can purchase or process at the sawmill northeast of Varrock. Different planks offer varying XP and costs:

Plank Type	Cost (GE, Approx.)	XP per Use	Best Use
Regular Plank	400 coins	29	Levels 1-20
Oak Plank	500 coins	60	Levels 20-50
Teak Plank	900 coins	90	Levels 50-70
Mahogany Plank	2,100 coins	140	Levels 70+

Other essential materials include:

• Steel Nails: For low-level furniture (buy from the sawmill).
• Limestone, Marble, Gold Leaf: For high-level items, available from the stonemason in Keldagrim.
• Soft Clay, Steel Bars: For specific furniture like fireplaces or shelves.
• Signets: For altars (e.g., Ancient Signet from Eblis after Desert Treasure).

Boosting Construction Levels

To build high-level items without grinding to max Construction, use these boosts:

• POH Tea: Grants up to +3 Construction. Build Teak Shelves 2 (level 67) in a kitchen, then make tea using a kettle, teapot, cup, and tea leaves from an oak larder.
• Crystal Saw: Adds +3 to furniture builds (not rooms).
• Spicy Stew (Orange Spice): Can boost up to +5, but it’s random. Test stews at Edgeville bank to avoid wasting boosts.

Example: With a Crystal Saw (+3) and POH Tea (+3), you can build a level 92 Crystalline Portal Nexus at level 86 Construction.

Designing Your House Layout

A well-planned layout maximizes your POH’s efficiency. Your starter house begins with a Parlour and Garden, but you can add up to 33 rooms as you level up. Here’s how to design a functional and aesthetically pleasing POH.

Choosing Key Rooms

Focus on rooms that offer the most utility. Here are the top recommendations:

• Portal Chamber (Level 50, 100,000 coins): Build portals for instant teleports to locations like Varrock or Camelot.
• Superior Garden (Level 65, 75,000 coins): Add a Spirit Tree, Fairy Ring, or Ornate Rejuvenation Pool for teleportation and stat restoration.
• Achievement Gallery (Level 80, 200,000 coins): Includes the Occult Altar and Jewellery Box for spellbook switching and unlimited teleports.
• Workshop (Level 15, 10,000 coins): Build an Armour Stand to repair Barrows gear cheaply.
• Chapel (Level 45, 50,000 coins): Gilded Altar for 350% Prayer XP when using bones.

Pro Tip: You need two Bedrooms (Level 20, 10,000 coins each) to hire a servant, who can fetch materials and speed up building.

Optimizing Room Placement

Place frequently used rooms near the entrance (Garden portal) for quick access. For example:

• Portal Chamber: Adjacent to the Garden for fast teleportation.
• Chapel: Near the entrance for Prayer training.
• Kitchen: Close to the Dining Room for servant synergy and tea-making.

Use the House Viewer in House Options to move or rotate rooms without losing their contents. Aim for a compact 4×4 layout to minimize load times (2 game ticks).

Tips for Aesthetic and Functionality

Balance utility with style:

• Thematic Design: Create a medieval castle vibe with stone walls or a lush estate with Formal Gardens.
• Decorations: Add paintings, sculptures, or heraldic crests (buy from Sir Renitee in White Knights’ Castle).
• Room Rotation: Align doorways for smooth navigation using the House Viewer.

Example: Place an Oubliette below a Throne Room for a thematic dungeon trap system.

Advanced Features and Maxing Your House

To create a “max house” with all the best features, aim for level 92 Construction (boostable from 86). Here’s how to unlock the top-tier amenities.

Key High-Level Features

These are the must-have components for a max POH, with approximate costs:

Feature	Room	Level	Cost (Approx.)
Crystalline Portal Nexus	Portal Chamber	92	18M coins
Ornate Rejuvenation Pool	Superior Garden	90	2M coins
Occult Altar	Achievement Gallery	90	1.5M coins
Ornate Jewellery Box	Achievement Gallery	91	1.5M coins
Spiritual Fairy Tree	Superior Garden	95	1M coins

Total cost for a max house is around 28 million coins, including rooms and materials.

Training to High Levels

To reach level 86 (for boosting to 92), follow this training path:

• Levels 1-20: Build Crude Wooden Chairs (2 planks, 2 nails each) in the Parlour.
• Levels 20-33: Construct Oak Chairs and Armchairs (2-3 oak planks) in the Parlour.
• Levels 33-52: Build Oak Larders (8 oak planks) in the Kitchen for fast XP.
• Levels 52-99: Make Mahogany Tables (6 mahogany planks) for high XP, though costly.

Hire a butler (level 40 Construction, requires 2 Bedrooms) to fetch planks from the bank, speeding up training. Expect to spend 100-190 million coins to reach level 86, depending on methods.

Maintaining Your POH

Once built, your POH requires minimal upkeep:

• Servant Wages: Pay your servant every 7-8 uses (e.g., 500 coins for a basic servant).
• Relocation: Move your house to cities like Rellekka (level 30, 10,000 coins) for better access to Slayer or quests.
• Updates: Check OSRS news for new Construction features, like the Superior Garden expansion.

With a maxed POH, you’ll have a versatile hub that enhances every aspect of your OSRS journey. Plan your layout, gather materials, and start building today to create a house that’s both functional and uniquely yours!