How to Buy Land from Tom Nook in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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The desire for more villagers is a common one in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and expanding your island’s population starts with purchasing new plots of land. Tom Nook is your go-to for this, but the process isn’t always straightforward. Here’s a comprehensive guide on how to buy land from Tom Nook and everything you need to know about it.
The Initial Steps to Land Acquisition
To begin acquiring additional land, you need to have completed a few key milestones on your island. Firstly, you must have upgraded Resident Services from a tent to a building (Town Hall). This upgrade is a pivotal moment in the game and unlocks many new features, including the ability to purchase land. Once Resident Services is established, you will need to have a campsite. If you don’t have a campsite yet, speak to Tom Nook, and he’ll guide you through the steps to establish one. Next, you need to have a visitor stay at the campsite. This first campsite visitor will always join your island.
Once the campsite visitor has moved in and is settled, Tom Nook will then allow you to purchase new plots. The first plot after the campsite villager is always 10,000 bells, and this is where you begin the process to expand your population.
Purchasing a Plot
After your first campsite villager has moved in, speak to Tom Nook. He will inform you that you can now purchase land to welcome more villagers to your island. The process is quite simple:
- Talk to Tom Nook: Approach Tom Nook in Resident Services and engage in conversation.
- Select “Let’s talk about infrastructure”: Within the dialogue options, choose this specific phrase.
- Select “Sell some land”: Tom Nook will present the option to purchase a new plot of land, and you can select this to proceed.
- Pay 10,000 Bells: Each plot costs 10,000 Bells, and the payment is made immediately upon request.
- Place the Plot: After paying, Tom Nook gives you a housing kit, and you will select a suitable area for a potential new villager and set up the plot.
Once the plot is set, it will be marked with a vacant sign, indicating it’s ready for a new resident.
What Happens After Buying Land?
After you’ve placed a new plot of land, there are two possibilities. Either you invite someone to move to the land, or the game does it for you.
- Inviting a Villager: You have the option to visit mystery islands using Nook Miles Tickets and invite villagers you meet there to move to your plot. Alternatively, you can invite a villager from a friend’s island if they are moving out. This gives you control over who joins your island.
- Automatic Filling: If you don’t invite a villager within 1 to 3 days, Tom Nook will automatically fill the vacant plot with a randomly selected villager.
Therefore, it’s best to move quickly if you have a specific villager in mind that you want to move to your island.
Maximum Plots of Land
It’s essential to know your limits; you can only have 10 animal villagers on your island. Once you reach this cap, Tom Nook will no longer allow you to purchase more plots. The only way to get a new villager after this is if one of the current 10 villagers move out. Additionally, you also have 8 human players (that is, accounts), making a total of 18 islanders on your island at any one time.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are some commonly asked questions about buying land in Animal Crossing: New Horizons:
1. Why Can’t I Sell Anymore Land?
You have reached the maximum limit of 10 animal villagers on your island and 8 human players. You cannot purchase more plots until an existing villager moves out.
2. How Do I Get a Housing Kit?
The housing kit is provided by Tom Nook after Resident Services has been upgraded to a proper building, and after you have had a villager move in from the campsite. You will receive the housing kit after you request to purchase more land from him.
3. How Many Plots Can I Buy?
You can buy a maximum of 9 additional plots beyond the initial house and the campsite villager plot, allowing you to reach the maximum of 10 villagers.
4. How Long Does it Take For a Villager to Move In After Buying Land?
If you don’t invite a villager to move in, the plot will be automatically filled within 1 to 3 days.
5. Can I Choose Where to Place My Plot?
Yes, you can choose a suitable area on your island where to place the plot. Be careful and mindful of locations, as you don’t want to place it somewhere where you’ll later want to put something else.
6. Can I Remove a Plot Once Placed?
No, once a plot is placed, it cannot be moved or removed. It’s essential to choose the location carefully.
7. What If I Don’t Want a Villager Who Moved In Automatically?
If a villager moves in automatically and you are not satisfied with them, you can try to encourage them to leave by not engaging with them, talking to Isabelle about their behaviour, or by mistreating them (though this is not recommended). It’s also worth noting that it’s random which villager will move in, so if you didn’t like that one, it might be worth keeping them so that you get one that you do like in the future.
8. Can I Speed Up the Process of Villagers Moving In?
Unfortunately, the process of a villager moving in is mostly random. There’s nothing you can do to make them move in quicker, except when you invite a villager from another island.
9. Do I Need to Pay Tom Nook to Upgrade My House?
Yes, you must pay Tom Nook to upgrade your house. Each upgrade comes with a different size, and this will cost you bells.
10. Can I Pay Off My Entire Home Loan to Tom Nook?
Yes, you can pay off all of your loans to Tom Nook. After completing your home loan, exterior renovations will be free, and you’ll receive other goodies.
11. What Happens If I Don’t Pay My Home Loan?
Don’t worry! There are no time limits or penalties for not paying your loan, but you will be unable to get any other house upgrades until you do.
12. How Do I Get My First Campsite?
To get the campsite, you must have first upgraded Resident Services. Then, Tom Nook will give you an assignment to increase the town’s popularity. This will involve building a campsite.
13. Can I Change the Type of Building I Have?
You cannot change the type of building in the same way you can change the exterior of your own house, such as by painting the roof. However, after the 2.0 update, all villagers have different exteriors to their homes, so you can always find the villager you want with the home you want.
14. Can Isabelle Evict Villagers?
Isabelle can’t directly evict villagers, but complaining to her about a specific villager for a few days may encourage them to leave. It’s not guaranteed, but it might work.
15. How Do I Get My Favorite Villager to Move In?
The best way is to visit mystery islands using Nook Miles Tickets and invite your favorite villagers to move to your land. You also have the option of inviting villagers from your friend’s islands. The most difficult method is to wait for the villager to move to your campsite. This could take a very long time, though.
By following these steps, you’ll be able to expand your island and fill it with the villagers you desire. Remember to always check in with Tom Nook and be ready for new opportunities to arise, and you’ll be enjoying a thriving community in no time!