Knowing how to build a Minecraft house or cabin is key to surviving, as well as being able to live in comfort. Constructing a decent home means you have somewhere to bunker down away from the Creepers and other monsters of the night, while also being able to store your precious crafting materials and equipment in relative safety. Your abode also gives you the chance to show off your artistic flair in Minecraft, where you can make it as fancy as you like and create a true statement piece – do you want a sprawling mansion that can’t be overlooked, or an impenetrable castle so that no foe can breach your defences?
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When building a Minecraft house you have to choose whether you’re constructing for functionality, appearance, or somewhere between. Building underground helps save on resources, but the exterior probably won’t blow any socks off when it’s just a pile of dirt with a door. Alternatively, a glass wall looks very cool, but it’s hardly going to hold up against any kind of attack. Whatever your priorities, we’ve laid out some basic construction tips and advice for anybody looking to build a Minecraft house above or below ground.
What to do underground in a Minecraft house
To get started on an underground Minecraft house, ideally you’ll dig horizontally into the side of a hill – if the terrain isn’t suitable then you can excavate downwards instead, but this does make construction somewhat trickier. You don’t want to make your entrance too large, so carve out a tunnel one block wide and two blocks high that goes at least a few blocks deep into the surroundings. At the end of this tunnel you can then start digging outwards to construct your first room, then stick up some torches to get a proper look at what you’re doing and add the other basic items we described above.
As well as providing a well protected bunker to live inside, you can also continue mining further into the surroundings to gather materials without having to return to the surface. As you tunnel away from your home, ensure you place a back door and extra lighting to keep your lodgings secure and monster-free.
Minecraft house ideas for above ground
This is probably the type of Minecraft house most players will be familiar with, as they’re much more visible and there’s scope for building some truly impressive structures. Any materials can be used to build the walls, but solid matter such as stone will provide a stronger foundation than wood. To get started, you’ll want to clear a flat area to build on, which can be a large as you like but around a dozen blocks square is a good starting point so you don’t run out of space too quickly – you can always expand later if needed.
Next, build walls around the perimeter at least four blocks high, leaving a gap for a door and any windows you want to install – make sure you fill these with suitable panels. For a roof, you can either go with a flat sheet of blocks, stack them up at an angle, or even use stairs to get the traditional sloped look. On the outside, consider ringing your Minecraft house with a fence to keep any marauding monsters at bay, with plenty of torches to ward them off. Add in all the basic items we’ve previously discussed, and your homestead is ready to go.
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