Many of us have owned a home or two, or more! I am one of those who collect well built homes in Second Life, why you may ask? I have no idea! I think it’s like a shoe “thing” or maybe it’s the wonderful textures that catch my eye, one thing I do know when I see it, is good quality price and prims!
There are a few things to keep in mind when purchasing a house in Second Life –
size of the land you are wanting to place the house on
prim allowance (remember you need to keep some spare for rezzing other things)
style, depending where you are renting your land you may need to adhere to a certain style of housing
I went shopping to find what I would consider five great home & skybox stores in SL that were also value for money and good on the prim count.
Here are five great house and skybox businesses -
I managed to catch up with the owners and asked them what they felt was most important to them when creating a house. Read on and see how their styles separate them all in a unique way.
Trompe Loeil
My first visit was to Trompe Loeil owned by Cory Endo, the lovely spacious store and grounds is a great showcase for all the houses.
I find the houses at Trompe Loeil to be of high quality and the textures are very realistic and the few times I have needed some help Cory was prompt with her replies and very helpful.
“The most important thing to me when creating a house is picking a design that is interesting, unique, and appeals to the sense of style and escapism that people look for in SL. SL is a place where you can experiment with builds that wouldn't or couldn't work as your real home, either for cost or location, weather or structure style, but people still want homes that are evocative of real spaces” Cory Endo
[BE] Barnesworth Anubis
Established in 2004 I have owned many [BE] Homes in my time, and when you visit the
sim you will see why, there is a distinct air of elegance and old-world charm mixed with the new mesh designs that will keep your prim pockets happy.
There is something for everyone, with antique homes and classic mansions. One of my very first purchases was his “beach house” and it still holds strong with the new designs as one of my favourites.
Barnsworth Anubis is always happy to help, so contact him so he can reply in his personable manner.
“I always put the most importance on the interior layout. I make a rough sketch of the rooms and walk around in it in world to see how it feels. I do my best to imagine what each area might be used for and make sure the home has a nice flow from one type of space to another.” - Barnsworth Anubis
Scarlet Creative
A visit to Scarlet Creative greets you with a distinctive old-world charm and elegance, owner Charlotte Bartlett puts her heart and soul into her creations and it shows, from skyboxes to mansions and rugged rustic builds there is a home to suit everyone.
“For me it is really about putting a little piece of my heart into what I create so people know they are made with love. People come into SL for many reasons, to have fun, or escape, or socialize across the world. So, to have the opportunity to provide them a design that makes their SL time special is very dear to me.” - Charlotte Bartlett
Dust Bunny
No inventory is complete without something from Dust Bunny, with its magical manors and cute chic skyboxes Dust Bunny’s eclectic style stands alone.
The romantic and cosy is what is aimed at with Dust Bunny homes and owner lxlNoel Resident makes sure she covers all those details when creating a home just for you.
lxlNoel Resident is always there to back up her quality builds with personal service.
“The most important thing for me when I create a house is making sure I have plenty of details inside and out to make the space feel cozy and a place you want to live in.” lxlNoel Resident
ROOST Homes
Roost is a household name in SL when it comes to homes, with their undeniably classic, and well-made homes you can find one to suit all your needs, prim size and you also can’t beat the quality there. From mansions, cosy homes and beach side dwellings coupled with the accessories and little touches, you can come home to roost anytime (pun intended).
If you need some good old-fashioned customer support contact RoostHomes Resident, who is happy to help.
“I guess for us function is the most important thing, since you can draft out the most beautiful house plan in Real Life...but it doesn't necessarily work for Second Life and the camera view as you walk. So that for us takes a lot of consideration and adjusting to make a home that's beautiful but will work for the avatars and in-world limitations.” - RoostHomes Resident
I am absolutely in awe of these amazing creators who help bring our SL dreams to life with their builds and the love they put into them. It was my pleasure to present them and chat to the owners.
This is of course only a few of the many talented creators who design and sell houses and skyboxes in second life.
I hope this helps you and I wish you well whenever you are house hunting.
Don't tell anyone but I purchased a new house on my ventures around these businesses, how could I resist?
Trompe Loeil
secondlife:///app/group/40764bcb-b29c-97d2-4a92-95cb4dfcdf2b/about
[BE] Barnesworth Anubis
Barnsworth Anubis
Scarlet Creative
Group -secondlife:///app/group/489a5668-5e69-9f2a-3156-93258b3e7675/about
Dust Bunny
Group secondlife:///app/group/a55ac1ae-2f6f-83a3-295b-0ad4657df720/about
lxlNoel Resident
Roost Homes
Group – secondlife:///app/group/c8616bdf-5e8f-6dec-31f5-6ae69e1e4798/about
RoostHomes Resident