Hearthfire DLC

The Hearthfire DLC is an expansion that lets you ... purchase a piece of land in Skyrim and build your own house. Within the custom living space you are able to build kitchens, greenhouses, libraries, alchemy labs and trophy rooms to show off your accomplishments.
Hearthfire is priced at 400 Microsoft Points and was released on September 4, 2012 on Xbox Live. The PC version released on October 4, 2012 priced at $5. A Playstation 3 release has been announced for February 19, 2013 on Playstation Store. The Playstation version is priced at $5. The Playstation version will be sold with 50% off for the first week from release.

To initiate the Hearthfire content, simply travel to the cities of Dawnstar, Falkreath or Morthal and speak to the steward there. Ask about purchasing a house and they will prompt you with the 5000 gold fee, handing over a deed to your plot of land. Note that certain quests must be completed before the Jarl will like you enough to sell you the land. Dawnstar: A Waking Nightmare, Kill the Giant (Radiant). Hjallmarch: Laid to Rest. Falkreath: Fetch Black Briar Mead, Kill the Bandit Leader (Radiant).

Follow your map marker to your new plot of land where a set of working fixtures and a book with the basics is waiting for you. Inside the chest are some materials, as well as a pile of logs behind you, enough to get you started on your house, creating a small shack with the raw materials.  Additionally you can purchase lumber, stone, and clay from your Housecarl if you make him/her your steward once you have become the Thane for Dawnstar, Falkreath, or Morthal.

Hearthfire also adds the option to adopt children, adding several orphaned child NPC's to the game, as well as sending the children of any slain NPC's to Honorhall Orphanage in Riften. You can build space in your Hearthfire house, or alternatively, talk to the Steward in any hold where you own a house, and they should have an option for making space for a child. Once in your stead, they can be ordered to do chores, go to bed, or go play outside, and be given gifts of clothing, toys, or even a dagger for protection. They will sometimes ask for allowance, if they can keep the baby Mudcrab that followed them home, or if they can stay up five more minutes. You can also make a pet out of Follower animals, including Vigilance and Meeko