You can buy one player home in each major city in The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (except Kvatch), plus a cheap shack in the Imperial City and some special homes via quests. Below is a friendly breakdown in a “Quick Scoop” style, focusing on the core question: what houses can you buy in Oblivion?

What houses can you buy in Oblivion?

Main purchasable houses (vanilla Oblivion)

You can own these standard city homes:

  1. Waterfront Shack – Imperial City
    • Very small, rundown shack on the Imperial City Waterfront.
    • Cheapest proper “starter” home; great for early safe storage and sleeping.
  2. Bravil House – Bravil
    • Modest, somewhat shabby house in the poorer riverside city of Bravil.
    • Functional but not fancy; mainly a budget option if you like living in Bravil.
  3. Leyawiin House – Leyawiin
    • Small town home near the southern swamps.
    • Good if you adventure in the south (Blackwood, Topal Bay).
  4. Bruma House – Bruma
    • Cozy Nordic-style house in the snowy northern city.
    • Popular because Bruma is central to the main quest and has that “winter lodge” vibe.
  5. Cheydinhal House – Cheydinhal
    • Stylish Dunmer-influenced home with nice architecture.
    • Often chosen for role‑play (mages, Dark Brotherhood fans, or anyone who likes Cheydinhal’s look).
  6. Chorrol House (Arborwatch) – Chorrol
    • A bigger, more upscale manor‑style home near the city center.
    • Requires higher fame and better disposition; feels like “you’ve made it.”
  7. Skingrad House (Rosethorn Hall) – Skingrad
    • Large, luxurious mansion; the most expensive standard house.
    • Tons of space and storage, and a status symbol for rich characters.
  8. Anvil House (Benirus Manor) – Anvil
    • A spooky manor that becomes a great house after a quest.
    • Starts haunted, but completing the related quest turns it into a fully upgraded, impressive home.

Special notes and quest flavor

  • Benirus Manor (Anvil):
    • You buy a haunted house, then clear a ghostly quest line.
    • Once done, the place gets fully furnished and becomes one of the more atmospheric homes in the game.
  • Rosethorn Hall (Skingrad):
    • Designed as the “richest” purchase in Oblivion.
    • Big rooms, lots of upgrades, and perfect if you want that noble‑lord role‑play.
  • Arborwatch (Chorrol):
    • Feels like a respectable manor in a knightly town.
    • Great for characters tied to the Fighters Guild or a heroic, honorable playstyle.

Mini FAQs (Quick Scoop style)

Is Kvatch included?

  • No. Kvatch is destroyed when you arrive in the game’s story, so there’s no buyable house there.

How many houses total?

  • In standard Oblivion, you can own:
    • 1 home in each major city (except Kvatch), plus
    • The shack on the Imperial City Waterfront.
  • That gives you a small network of bases all across Cyrodiil.

Do DLCs add more houses?

  • Yes, some official add‑ons (like the Wizard’s Tower, Thieves Den, etc.) add extra themed homes, but those are outside the core “city house” list above.

Choosing the “best” house

Different players on forums and wikis often recommend:

  • Best luxury home: Rosethorn Hall in Skingrad.
  • Best spooky/quest home: Benirus Manor in Anvil.
  • Best cozy mid‑game home: Bruma House.
  • Best early‑game starter: Imperial City Waterfront Shack (cheap and easy).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.