1. Begin your journey in Riften: To buy a house in Riften, you must first travel to the city, located in the southeastern region of Skyrim. If you haven’t discovered it already, you can find Riften by following the main road system.

2. Visit the Jarl’s Longhouse: Once you’ve arrived in Riften, head to Mistveil Keep, the Jarl’s residence. It’s a large castle-like structure located in the southwest corner of Riften.

3. Speak with Jarl Laila Law-Giver: Introduce yourself to Jarl Laila Law-Giver and express your interest in purchasing a house within her city.

4. Complete the “Skooma Trade” Quest: To gain the Jarl’s trust and show your dedication to Riften, she will ask you to complete the “Skooma Trade” quest. This involves investigating Shadr and Wujeeta, who are involved in a drug trafficking ring.

5. Destroy The Skooma Lab: After gathering enough information about the Skooma operation, travel outside Riften and destroy the Cragslane Cavern Skooma lab.

6. Report your success: Once you’ve completed the quest, return to Jarl Laila Law-Giver and report your success. She will now consider you an ally of Riften and grant you permission to purchase property within her city.

7. Become Thane of Riften: To fully win over Jarl Laila Law-Giver’s trust and complete the process of buying a house, she will ask that you become Thane of Riften by assisting five citizens with their problems or tasks.

8. Assist five citizens: There are various citizens throughout Riften who need assistance with different tasks ranging from retrieving items to resolving conflicts or disputes among others. Complete at least five of these tasks to prove your dedication to the citizens of Riften.

9. Obtain Honeyside Home: After fulfilling your duties as Thane of Riften, return to Mistveil Keep and speak with Jarl Laila Law-Giver again. She will inform you that you are now eligible to purchase Honeyside, a house located in Riften, for 8,000 gold.

10. Purchase Honeyside: Speak with Anuriel, the Jarl’s steward, who can also be found in Mistveil Keep. Give her 8,000 gold to buy Honeyside and receive the key to your new home.

11. Decorate your new home: Now that you own Honeyside, you can also purchase various house decorations from Anuriel. These include an alchemy lab, an enchanting table, a patio garden, and more. Customize your home to suit your preferences and enjoy your new life as a homeowner in Riften!