How to Build a Starter House in Minecraft
Construct a basic, secure survival starter house in Minecraft featuring a solid foundation, wooden frame, glass windows, and a pitched roof.
- Read the tools, materials, safety notes, and steps below for free.
- Tap Start Camera Coach when you want hands-free voice help.
- Allow camera and microphone. Point your phone at the work; the coach watches your progress and tells you the next step.
🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Gaming mouse
- ✓ Keyboard
- ✓ PC monitor or display screen
- ✓ In-game Wooden or Stone Axe
- ✓ In-game Wooden or Stone Pickaxe
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ 64 Oak Wood Planks (in-game)
- ✓ 24 Oak Logs (in-game)
- ✓ 16 Glass Panes or Glass Blocks (in-game)
- ✓ 48 Cobblestone Blocks (in-game)
- ✓ 1 Oak Door (in-game)
- ✓ 4 Torches (in-game)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Ensure the surrounding in-game area is well-lit with torches to prevent hostile mob spawns during construction.
- • Maintain ergonomic posture and take periodic breaks from keyboard and mouse use.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (5 Steps)
Clear Ground and Lay Foundation
Find a flat 7x7 area of terrain. Clear away grass and dirt using a shovel or bare hands, then lay down a 7x7 perimeter outline of cobblestone blocks directly on the ground layer.
- • A flat 7x7 square border of grey cobblestone visible on the terrain screen.
- • Miscounting the grid dimensions making the house asymmetrical.
Erect Corner Log Pillars
Place Oak Logs vertically at all four corners of the foundation. Stack each corner pillar exactly 4 blocks high, facing upward.
- • Four vertical wooden pillars standing 4 blocks tall at each corner of the cobblestone square.
- • Placing logs horizontally instead of vertically.
Build Plank Walls with Window Openings
Fill the wall spaces between the corner pillars using Oak Planks up to 3 blocks high. Leave a 1x2 block gap in the front center for a door and 2x1 gaps in the side walls for windows.
- • Solid plank walls connecting the pillars with symmetrical 1x2 doorway and 2x1 window cutouts.
- • Filling in the entire wall solid and forgetting the door cutout.
Install Roof and Interior Lighting
Cap the building with cobblestone stairs or plank slabs across the top layer to create a weather-sealed roof. Place at least one torch on an interior wall to keep the light level high.
- • Complete roof enclosure without missing blocks and a warm yellow light illuminating the interior.
- • Leaving dark corners inside the room where hostile mobs can spawn.
Fit Door, Glass, and Flooring
Replace the dirt floor inside with cobblestone or wooden planks. Insert glass panes into the window openings and position an oak door from the outside facing inward into the doorway.
- • Finished wooden or stone floor, transparent glass in all window openings, and a closed flush door.
- • Placing the door from inside the house, creating an unsightly gap in the doorway depth.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by Dream — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Oak Logs? Birch or Spruce Logs
- No Glass Panes? Full Glass Blocks or Wooden Fences