Hearthfire - How to get free lumber?

[🅵🆁🅴🅳🅴🆁🅸🅺]

So I heard if you make friends with the mill owner they will let you cut the lumber yourself and it will get added to your stockpile. I'm currently using the Half-Moon Mill in Falkreath. I cut some firewood and sold it to Hert who is the owner. If I ask if I can cut the lumber myself she tells me to go right ahead. I head over to the mill and start working it but when done nothing gets added to my house. Did I do something wrong?

[Locklave]

I don't think she counts as the owner because she's connected to quests and the spawned in character for the quest is the real owner.

I recall this information from way back, never tested it.

[Locklave]

Wait, just remembered how it worked. I believe you needed to marry the owner. The 2 lumber mills near Windhelm, at least 1 of those women can be married.

[Hiddey]

Slight necro. I figured this out today.

Apparently it's a bug. You do not need to marry the owner. Just sell firewood to them until they give you permission to use the mill yourself; the trick is to ask them while a log is getting sawed.

This is easiest when they are at the mill. Just load up a log, pull the lever, talk to the miller and ask to cut your own timber. They'll agree as normal. Once the log is sawed and the slider is pulled fully backwards, wait a few seconds and you'll get 10 sawed logs.

Then just repeat this. It's a little bit of extra effort with no lost time and definitely worth it if you're at a point in the game where a minute or so of work saving you 200g is a good deal.

[Belanos]

Not all mills will let you have free lumber. I always go to Riverwood or Morthal for mine, since you did both of those communities a favour and are happy to oblige. There's no need to chop wood for them either.

[Emmental]

Originally posted by Hiddey:

Slight necro. I figured this out today.

Apparently it's a bug. You do not need to marry the owner. Just sell firewood to them until they give you permission to use the mill yourself; the trick is to ask them while a log is getting sawed.

This is easiest when they are at the mill. Just load up a log, pull the lever, talk to the miller and ask to cut your own timber. They'll agree as normal. Once the log is sawed and the slider is pulled fully backwards, wait a few seconds and you'll get 10 sawed logs.

Then just repeat this. It's a little bit of extra effort with no lost time and definitely worth it if you're at a point in the game where a minute or so of work saving you 200g is a good deal.

It's quicker to cut firewood and trade it for logs.

[Belanos]

Originally posted by Frederik:

I guess that makes sense, yeah. I'll try to do some quests for the hold first.

Riverwood is easy, all you have to do is talk to the Jarl at Whiterun about the dragon attack at Helgen. At least if you've been dealing with Alvor. With Morthal you need to take care of their vampire problem.

[Docsprock]

I just buy it. Its not like there is a lot to do with your money.

[Hiddey]

Originally posted by Dave:

It's quicker to cut firewood and trade it for logs.

It takes four minutes to chop enough firewood for 20 sawed logs.

Using the mill it takes about a minute to get 20 sawed logs.