Housing permits?

[Greycloak]

Maybe I should have posted this in the housing forum, but since I'm a newish player and this is possibly a stupid question, I posted it here.

Anyway, I've saved up about 5 million and I'd like to buy a house, but before I buy a plot of land it says I need to build on it within 45 days. My question is about the permits. I see on the market board on my server people selling housing permits for 3.75 million! But the documentation on housing I've read says you can check the placard after you buy a plot and you'll be able to buy a permit for a small house for 450,000. Which is correct? And will that permit actually build the house or only allow me to build one?

As you see, I'm confused. Thanks for any help.

[Miu-Tiiu]

You can buy the permit to build the house from the plot. The permit is actually building the house itself so go with what you can afford.

The other permits you saw on the marketboard are for different types of homes you want and can be restricted to wards your plot is in. So do be careful which permits you buy if you wish to buy something else other than what the Placard offers you.

[Miu-Tiiu]

Start with the 450,000 gil permit the Placard offers you.

[Frizze]

So the people selling permits are trying to take advantage of other players(who are either uninformed or lazy). Theyre taking something from the equivalent of an NPC merchant and hoping to sell it at a markup(potentially a huge markup). Buy your plot, take a few days to save up if you need to(i think youre right about having 45 days, but obviously try not to wait til the last minute), then buy the permit straight from the placard. Your plot will only allow one size of house(cottage for small plot, house for medium, mansion for large). Whichever option you pick for the permit(wood, stone, etc) gives you a "starter house". Then while on your land theres a housing menu you can access, which allows you to remodel your home. At this point, you can mix and match some of the options(wooden walls with a stone roof plus a more ornate fence? sure) to get a house uniquely yours(you will need to provide the parts you want to change - so if you want a new stone roof you either need to craft or buy one from someone). There are also housing "skins" that fill all the customization slots to allow for special "themed" houses(if you walk around your housing district youll probly see some people with otter carbuncle or moogle designs as examples)