How to Upgrade Your House in Stardew Valley
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Stardew Valley
How to Upgrade Your House in Stardew Valley
✓ Updated May 2026
Each Upgrade — Full DetailsHouse Upgrade TipsHouse upgrades in Stardew Valley follow a clear priority order tied to gameplay progression rather than personal preference. The first upgrade (Kitchen) is functionally necessary for competitive play because food buffs fundamentally change how efficient your farming, mining, and combat are. The second upgrade (marriage bedroom) is necessary for the social progression that unlocks important story content and companion events. The third upgrade (Cellar) is purely an income amplifier that rewards players who have already built a significant artisan operation. The natural timeline for most players: first upgrade end of Spring or early Summer Year 1, second upgrade Year 2 after establishing steady income, third upgrade Year 2–3 when the 100,000g becomes manageable from Wine production. All three upgrades compound on each other — the Kitchen enables food buffs that speed up the gold accumulation needed for upgrades 2 and 3, and the Cellar multiplies the income from the artisan operation that the Kitchen’s cooking buffs helped accelerate. For a complete Year 1 strategy that incorporates these milestones, see the Year 1 guide.
FAQ
⚡ Quick Answer
All House Upgrades — Cost and What You GetTalk to Robin at her Carpenter Shop (north of the farm, open Tue–Fri 9am–5pm and some weekends) and select «Construct Farm Buildings». The house has 3 upgrades: 1st upgrade — 10,000g + 450 Wood (adds kitchen + bedroom space). 2nd upgrade — 65,000g + 100 Hardwood (adds children’s room + cellar entry). 3rd upgrade — 100,000g (cellar with Casks for aging artisan goods). Each upgrade takes 3 days to complete. You sleep outside during construction but take no damage.
| Upgrade | Cost | Materials | What You Get | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Upgrade | 10,000g | 450 Wood | Kitchen + larger bedroom | Cook food recipes — essential for buffs |
| 2nd Upgrade | 65,000g | 100 Hardwood | Children’s room + larger house | Required for children, marriage bedroom |
| 3rd Upgrade | 100,000g | None | Cellar with 33 Cask slots | Age Wine/Cheese to Iridium quality |
| Furniture Catalogue | 200,000g | None | Buy any furniture free from Robin | Full decoration — optional cosmetic |
1
Visit Robin’s Carpenter Shop to start any upgrade. Robin’s Carpenter Shop is located north of your farm, past the large rock that blocks the road (remove it with the Pickaxe after upgrading it). Robin is available Tuesday through Friday 9am–5pm and on some weekend days. Talk to her and select «Construct Farm Buildings» — you’ll see your house listed alongside barns, coops, and sheds. Select «Upgrade» on your farmhouse to see the current available upgrade and its cost. Robin takes 3 days to complete any house upgrade during which you cannot access your interior — sleep in the tent or outside on your farm. Your character doesn’t take damage from sleeping outside.
2
First Upgrade (10,000g + 450 Wood) — get it as early as possible. The first house upgrade adds a Kitchen to your farmhouse — the most important early-game unlock. The Kitchen lets you cook recipes, which provide temporary stat buffs: Farming, Fishing, Foraging, Mining, and Combat skills all have food buffs that significantly improve performance. Mining food buffs (like Miner’s Treat or Roots Platter) make the Mines dramatically more productive. Cooking also fulfills some Community Center bundles. 450 Wood is easy to gather by chopping trees on your farm in the first few days — stockpile it before spending the 10,000g so the upgrade starts immediately.
3
Second Upgrade (65,000g + 100 Hardwood) — required for marriage and children. The second upgrade expands your house significantly, adding a children’s room and a proper double bed. This upgrade is required if you want to marry any villager — the game won’t allow proposals until your house has the marriage bed from this upgrade. The 100 Hardwood requirement is the gating resource — Hardwood comes from Large Stumps (8 Hardwood each, respawn daily on your farm) and Large Logs (requires upgraded Axe). By the time you have 65,000g, you likely have enough Hardwood if you’ve been chopping your farm’s Large Stumps regularly. The Secret Woods (south of the farm, accessible after removing a log with the Steel Axe) contains 6 Large Stumps that respawn daily — 48 Hardwood per day.
4
Third Upgrade (100,000g) — adds the Cellar with 33 Casks. The third and final house upgrade adds a Cellar beneath your house containing 33 Cask slots. Casks age artisan goods over time to increase their quality and value: Wine and Cheese take the longest (56 days for Iridium quality) but provide the most value increase. Silver quality takes 14 days, Gold takes 28 days, Iridium takes 56 days. Iridium Ancient Fruit Wine sells for approximately 3,465g — a 50% premium over standard Artisan Wine. The Cellar is a passive income booster: load 33 Casks before Winter, collect Iridium-quality products in mid-Spring. The 100,000g cost with no material requirement makes it purely a gold investment — save for it after the second upgrade is complete.
5
Hardwood — how to get 100 for the second upgrade. Hardwood is the most commonly asked-about material for house upgrades. Sources: Large Stumps (8 Hardwood each — 4 on your farm respawn daily, 6 in Secret Woods respawn daily = up to 80 Hardwood per day with a Steel Axe or better). Large Logs (require upgraded Axe — give 8–12 Hardwood each). Mahogany Trees (planted from Mahogany Seeds found on Slimes or Ginger Island). A single day of dedicated Hardwood farming in the Secret Woods provides 48 Hardwood — meaning 100 Hardwood requires just 3 days of Secret Woods visits. Upgrade your Axe to Steel (2,000g + 5 Copper Bars) before attempting Large Logs.
6
Use Casks strategically — prioritize Wine and Pale Ale over lower-value goods. The Cellar’s 33 Casks should be loaded with the highest-value artisan goods available. Priority order: Ancient Fruit Wine (1,650g → 3,465g Iridium Artisan) gives the largest absolute value increase. Starfruit Wine (2,250g → same with Artisan) similarly benefits greatly. Cheese (230g → 460g Iridium) is easier to produce continuously with cows. Pale Ale benefits less proportionally. Load your best Wine into all Casks each Winter (when Wine production slows or you have stockpiles) and let it age through the entire season — collect in Spring for maximum income timing.
→First upgrade by Summer Year 1 is the ideal timeline: the Kitchen unlocks cooking which provides skill buffs that improve every other activity. Getting it by Summer Year 1 means you benefit from food buffs for your entire first year of mining and farming. Saving 10,000g + 450 Wood by Summer is achievable with basic Spring crop income — prioritize this over most other gold expenditures in Year 1.
→Robin is closed on Tuesdays — plan your upgrade visits accordingly: Robin is unavailable on Tuesdays (her day off). If you have the gold and materials ready on a Tuesday, you’ll need to wait until Wednesday. Plan upgrade requests for early in the week — a Monday visit means construction runs Monday–Wednesday, and the house is available again on Thursday. A Tuesday miss pushes start to Wednesday, extending the unavailability through Friday.
→During the 3-day construction period, sleep by 12am to avoid losing energy: while Robin is building your upgrade, you sleep outside. Your character passes out at 2am if you stay up too late, costing you 10% of your gold. Go to bed before midnight during the 3-day construction — either go to bed early on your farm or at the Saloon (rent a room for the night for 100g, a worthwhile investment to protect larger gold reserves).
→The Furniture Catalogue (200,000g) is purely cosmetic — low priority: after the third house upgrade, Robin sells a Furniture Catalogue for 200,000g that lets you buy any furniture item for free. This is entirely cosmetic — it doesn’t unlock any gameplay mechanics, just decorating options. Save for it only after you’ve established your Wine Shed, Animal operations, and have excess gold beyond your operating needs. It’s a Year 3+ purchase for most players.
→Get the Cellar before maximizing Cask use — time the upgrade right: Casks only work in the Cellar (you can’t place them elsewhere). Get the third upgrade before your first significant Wine harvest stockpile — ideally before or during Fall Year 2 so you can load Casks with Fall Wine and let it age through Winter. Ancient Fruit Wine aged for 56 days from Fall 1 would be Iridium quality by approximately Winter 27 — perfect timing for Spring 1 collection.
How do you upgrade your house in Stardew Valley?Talk to Robin at her Carpenter Shop (north of the farm, open Tue–Fri 9am–5pm) and select «Construct Farm Buildings.» Choose your house and select «Upgrade.» There are 3 upgrades: 10,000g + 450 Wood (Kitchen), 65,000g + 100 Hardwood (children’s room), and 100,000g (Cellar). Each takes 3 days to complete.
What does the first house upgrade do in Stardew Valley?The first house upgrade (10,000g + 450 Wood) adds a Kitchen to your farmhouse. The Kitchen allows you to cook recipes using ingredients from your farm and fridge. Cooked food provides temporary stat buffs to Farming, Fishing, Mining, and Combat skills — essential for efficient progression throughout the game.
How do you get Hardwood for the second house upgrade in Stardew Valley?Chop Large Stumps (8 Hardwood each) with a Copper Axe or better. Your farm has 4 Large Stumps that respawn daily. The Secret Woods (south of your farm, accessible after removing a log with a Steel Axe) has 6 Large Stumps respawning daily — 48 Hardwood per day. You need 100 Hardwood total, achievable in 3 Secret Woods visits.
What does the Cellar do in Stardew Valley?The Cellar (from the 3rd house upgrade, 100,000g) contains 33 Cask slots that age artisan goods over time. Wine aged to Iridium quality (56 days) sells for 50% more than standard quality. Ancient Fruit Wine reaches approximately 3,465g at Iridium Artisan quality — the highest artisan product value in the game.