Do you really use (or gonna use, if you get one) your house?

[Antoine_Lenheim]

Like, I understand the essential part a house play for FCs. A place to hangout and socialize, group up for events and such. To have a lot of practical functions (chocobo stables, workshop, crafting stations, gardening).

But for private housing, I'm honestly curious. For some reason, I have a feeling that those people who really want a house for themselves, keep complaining about how unfair the current housing situation is where supply is only limited, there are 100+ entrants on every plot and it's impossible to win the lottery... would only be excited about their house for a week, if they finally get it. Most of the people I know, be it friends, FC mates or our neighbours from housing ward, only rarely appeared in their private houses after they decorated it. Some never even decorated it. They just kept it as a symbol, a trophy that they won in that neverending battle of housing. But never actually properly used it.

So, yeah, I am geniunly curious if this is different for other people? Like, would you continue to use your house after that first week excitement of finally having a house fades away? Or you just want a house for an epeen factor, to show off?

[Yuniko]

Like, I understand the essential part a house play for FCs. A place to hangout and socialize, group up for events and such. To have a lot of practical functions (chocobo stables, workshop, crafting stations, gardening).

But for private housing, I'm honestly curious. For some reason, I have a feeling that those people who really want a house for themselves, keep complaining about how unfair the current housing situation is where supply is only limited, there are 100+ entrants on every plot and it's impossible to win the lottery... would only be excited about their house for a week, if they finally get it. Most of the people I know, be it friends, FC mates or our neighbours from housing ward, only rarely appeared in their private houses after they decorated it. Some never even decorated it. They just kept it as a symbol, a trophy that they won in that neverending battle of housing. But never actually properly used it.

So, yeah, I am geniunly curious if this is different for other people? Like, would you continue to use your house after that first week excitement of finally having a house fades away? Or you just want a house for an epeen factor, to show off?

I want a house, because i want to RP, and actually use my house for an RP cafe, but also as my character's personal house for RP.

I've wanted a house for so long.

Like for me, a house means a lot to me, like beyond words can explain.

[Bun_Vivant]

Owning a personal house is like glamour: a low-stress way to while away the hours.
Avoiding boredom is a common first-world desire, after all.

[Eastwall]

Yes. I made a tons of gils from the submarines

[LilimoLimomo]

Most of the people I know, be it friends, FC mates or our neighbours from housing ward, only rarely appeared in their private houses after they decorated it. Some never even decorated it. They just kept it as a symbol, a trophy that they won in that neverending battle of housing. But never actually properly used it.

I think the idea of "properly using" a house is pretty loaded, and it's worth taking a step back. People have different things they want to use a house for that will surely vary from person-to-person. I would feel presumptuous telling someone else that they aren't using their house properly because it didn't fit with my subjective definition of what that means. Probably best not to do that.

So, yeah, I am geniunly curious if this is different for other people? Like, would you continue to use your house after that first week excitement of finally having a house fades away? Or you just want a house for an epeen factor, to show off?

This is honestly an impossible question to answer for people who don't have a house already. To make a psychology lecture brief, human want is generally disproportionately large when compared to the actual impact the things we want will have on our lives. And when we get what we want, we always want more. Though that said, it's not like getting what you want has no impact, because it most certainly does! It's just that we're not great at effectively predicting what that impact will be. Yet another case of where hindsight is 20/20.

So with that said, as someone who currently owns a house, I can at least provide one data point. I've had my house for a few years, and when I first got it, I loved decorating it. Now all my slots are full so I rarely do any decoration since that requires removing items and dealing with my overflowing inventory, though sometimes a new item is cool enough that it's worth the hassle. I feel a sense of pride at the creativity of the designs I thought up for various parts of my house, and in that way it feels like a space that I can exist in that is also an extension of me. It's cozy, and there are great songs playing every time I pop inside.

When I have friends online and we're just talking rather than doing content, my house is my favorite place for us to gather. Sometimes if my friends aren't around, though, I can forget about my house and not go there for awhile, in the same way that a player might forget that Eureka exists and not go there for awhile; my house is a social space, so if there's no social happening, it can be vacant.

Though when I remember it, it's still a nice and cozy place, even when I'm alone. It's a place to sit with nice decor and vibes when I just want to wait for a queue or when I want to wrest my aching joints. It's aesthetic, and that's a nice experience to have. And it has some convenient vendors, too.

So yeah, I still use it, and I don't see it as any kind of trophy. I'm not better than anyone because I have a house, but I like that it gave me a place to express myself that continues to feed me in return. That's something I'd love for everyone to have.

[Antoine_Lenheim]

I think the idea of "properly using" a house is pretty loaded, and it's worth taking a step back. People have different things they want to use a house for that will surely vary from person-to-person. I would feel presumptuous telling someone else that they aren't using their house properly because it didn't fit with my subjective definition of what that means. Probably best not to do that.

From perspective of a person who want to actively use the house, decorate it, get into gardening etc etc., would it be presumptious to say a person who gets a house only to keep it as a status symbol, never to be used or entered in again, and if he snatched it right in front of you, that he's not "using it properly"? And be mad about it, that he is "wasting" a house you could do so much better with?

[LilimoLimomo]

From perspective of a person who want to actively use the house, decorate it, get into gardening etc etc., would it be presumptious to say a person who gets a house only to keep it as a status symbol, never to be used or entered in again, and if he snatched it right in front of you, that he's not "using it properly"? And be mad about it, that he is "wasting" a house you could do so much better with?

It sounds like what you're describing isn't "not using it properly" as much as simply "not using it". And if a player is indeed not using their house in any way, shape, or form, and has no intention of using it in the future, and no other members of the community are using it either, then I can see an argument for that being a waste. But...that seems really unlikely. If such a person truly exists, I'd be so curious to hear why they keep the house. It would make me wonder if there's some aspect of the situation that I'm failing to adequately consider.

I suppose you could get mad at such a player, because feelings are gonna happen whether we want them or not. But your fellow players seem like a less than ideal target for that anger. We all know who's responsible for the housing supply issue, and it's not players. Fighting amongst each other about it only serves to benefit those responsible while not addressing the root of the issue; classic divide and conquer.

Though that said...what you've described is impossible in FF14. If you never enter your house again, after a few months it will be revoked and put back on the market for someone else to buy. So there's automated protection against this kind of situation occurring.

[HeyMcFly]

Yes I will use the house- I have 6 retainers full of housing materials
I love house decorating

My two main problems with housing atm are feeling like I have to settle because my fav plots aren't available and the other is when there are ugly houses around.
I yearn for instanced housing, where we can upgrade the space with gil and donating mats in addition to having full customization access. And bonus, not having to step out and seeing a giant red Hingan roof. I'd rather be surrounded by candy houses or chocobo houses than hingan ones.

Aside from my own personal HOA problems; I wish there was a way for us to show off our house designs in the same way players can view our Adventure plate. Like taking a picture of our house and putting in on display for those to see if they choose. It wouldn't include the location unless you're willing to show it or through Friendslist.
There are those of us who love house decorating and want to show it off with more ease.

[Reinha]

I decorated my personal house partially and I intend to decorate the rest at a later date. When would that "later date" be? Not sure, but I can't go to a medium plot and buy it later since we have a lottery system now. So I went and bought it when I could. I also keep my furniture there, and it is space I wouldn't have without paying real life money for an extra retainer.

What counts as using a personal house other than decorating, storing items and going inside the house to look at it? Not everyone has interactive items in there and only a minority do RP.

[Espon]

I use my personal house a ton and it is the main reason I log on when content is dry. It's currently decorated as a maid cafe on the main floor, with a jungle downstairs and a wedding chapel upstairs. My friends and I open it up a couple times each weekend so people can come hangout, RP, listen to bards, and do silly weddings.