Is there a walkthrough for building/designing your first house?

First off, apologies if this is in the wrong forum. Please direct me to another if there's one more appropriate.

I am looking for a walkthrough guide for building up my first property. I've figured out how to purchase land, but beyond that, I'm kind of stumped.

Would someone please direct me to any resources that could help me out

Thanks in advance,
Nikolai

This is exactly the right forum to ask this question. My best answer is to open the Places finder in SL, and search for "ivory tower". I'm not sure where it's located at the moment but it has some great building tutorials. Also, check the events schedule because there are sometimes introductory building classes. And don't be afraid to ask specific questions here, but also don't be afraid to search the forums in case they've been asked before. Good luck!

The Ivory Tower of Primitives is, as Julian noted, an excellent place to get started. Part of a tutorial is a walk-through "build a chair" tutorial and once you've got that down, you should have the necessary building skills to make a (basic) house. Also, grab a few free or cheap texture packs (for example at the GNU Wave Architects store in Davenport, but really, they are all over the world), textures can make a huge difference in your build

There are also classes offered int basic building and texturing of objects. Check out the Events listings.

As for the overall design, I have a few recommendations, having built my own house, and a few others...

1: Pick a style that suits you and that reflects your tastes... if you are a "50'smodern" kind of guy, build a "50's Modern" style house... a House more than a place to put your stuff... it is a lso a fashion statement about you...

2: If You're a "50's Modern" kind of guy, and everyone in your neighborhood is doing the Victorian thing, don't be afraid to stand out... Keep in mind that it is MUCH easier to move a house in SL than it is in FL... when you are tired of being surrounded by the Addamses, pick up your house, sell your land and buy another plot somehwere more suited to your tastes... though I would ask why you bought in Victorianaland in the first place if it didn't suit your tastes...

3: Be brave. If you like two different styles that no architect in FL would EVER put together, but you like them both, go ahead and find a good blend of the two... I managed to do just that with Ulta-modern meets Spanish Villa at my home on "Spinnaker Island" in Sabulella. Go check it out sometime if you like. (I don't have any furniture yet, so you can see the bones of the house the way it is, flaws and all (The roofline gave me fits... and still does in some ways....).

4: realize that your house may be a "Work in progress" for a while... especially if it is "Very custom." Very traditional style houses have the advantage of already being laid out in a traditional pattern. Though there is nothing wrong with this, it is a bit staid. It makes for a good prefab, but if you are a creative builder, you are not likely to be satisfied with a prefab. Be willing to adjust and fiddle and tweak to your heart's content... or tear out a wall and add an extension. All of this can be done without any economic contraint (Other than primcount) in SL.

5: Make time for other things... go. Explore. See the world. See the works of others. Get inspired by the raw, breathtaking beauty of some of the areas of this world. enjoy the hustle and bustle of the commercial zones. Go see what other people have done... and find what makes you smile. Then bring those ideas back and build those ideas into reality, reflecting your OWN sense of style. When you do, your home will truly be a joy to you and a reflection of your own tastes and pleasures... and when it comes down to it, isn't that what a home is supposed to be?