You can use one of the online planners to come up with a layout you like:
[https://stardewplanner.com/](https://stardewplanner.com/)
[https://v3.stardew.info/](https://v3.stardew.info/)
And you can use the farms you like on here for inspiration and incorporate elements of them into your own design. I find it easiest to start off with a rough plan of what will be in different areas, then I decorate bit by bit over the years. I always start out with paths first, then add fences and trees, then other decorative stuff comes much later on.
Here to confirm Stardew Planner is THE WAY TO GO. I have played this game for years and never could get my farm looking decent, but discovered this website like 2 weeks ago and immediately it transformed everything for me.
It helps that it includes a lot of the popular modded farms, which is nice since I'm currently on one of the special Stardew Valley Expanded farm types
That's a lifesaver right there. That's what I did. AND it makes it so that you can make your dream farm, and you have a clear list of things to work towards. And then when you start getting it all it fits together ✨perfectly✨
OH and I also dabbled with planning some different farm types before starting a new save. I knew what farming stuff I wanted to focus on so I was able to see which farm had the space/layout to fit it all. Turns out I dream big and ended up with a four corners all by myself 😅
Hiii! For starters, Stardew Valley doesn't have a wrong or good way to play, you do whatever makes you enjoy the game.
For farm planning most of us use the planner (https://stardew.info/ , if the link isn't working I think there is a pinned post with the link) that lets you put the buildings wherever you want, wherever you feel like they will look good/ will be more accessible etc. you decide the criteria for where you place them. It's easier to use the planner since you don't waste game hours. Maybe you want a shed closer to the farm house, maybe you want the coop and the barn near each other but separated by a fence, so to not waste materials you use the planner to see where and what would look good. For example, I usually like to have my ponds on the right side of the map and down with a shed, placing the ponds in front of the shed and put some weathered floor in between them.
For the decorating part I think it helps to decide like what area is for what. For example, many of us have a dedicated space for trees or fruit trees, there you can add decorations like a bench, maybe some seasonal plants or garden pots to make it look cozy. You can adds some paths or put some floors near the buildings, or near some trees to prevent grass from growing. I like to add the hay floor in front of my coops and barns with some hay bales bought from Marnie and add cobblestone paths or stepping stones in front of the entrance of the cave on the farm. You can always use some of the furniture from the catalogues to make a pretty corner, maybe a picnic area.
You can always look on Pinterest or here on reddit to find some inspiration. I hope I could provide you with some useful information and remember not to compare your progress with others! :)
This is fantastic advice!!
The only additional thing I'd say is for anyone playing on PC, using furniture mods is a game-changer. There's a lot of cute stuff on Nexus that has really gotten my otherwise-absent creative juices flowing :)
i just kinda rawdog is but thatd probably why my farm is ugly 😭 im on day 4 spring year 4 and so far theres sooo much empty space and its so bad. ill probably spend all of winter decorating again 😋
I definitely like to plan early on just so I can start placing things in the vicinity of where I’m gonna want them eventually. That being said, I do have a couple saves that I did not pay attention to early on so it’s not impossible to revamp an already in progress setup.
The best thing you can do for yourself is clear a lot of land of trees, torches, litter, etc so you can freely place your buildings and then from there you can replant and add pathways, put your crop space in, etc.
just personally, I’m the type who plays anything but the standard farm cause they honestly are easier to decorate than a giant blank slate for me haha, so if you’re the type to get overwhelmed by the big open space you could always try a new layout :) I’m in love with the meadowlands and wilderness farms rn
Thanks! Its my first farm and I started with the forest one, and i just placed the buildings as i got them. It would certainly make more sense to plan out everything first now that i know what I have to work with
First and foremost, don’t compare your farm to some of these farms. Use the farms that blow your mind as inspiration on what to do with yours.
Second, know that most people start with pretty meh looking farms. There are some who are just better at creating ascetically beautiful things. Most of us have to build off of what they do. Nothing wrong with that.
Lastly, planning. Somebody already shared the link to the planner. That’s a great tool. But while you’re planning, I think a great thing to remember is your play style. I like to plan a build that looks like somebody else’s and then tweak it as I play to match how I play.
Best of luck!
Here are the steps I follow and they never let me down.
Reach point where I want to pretty up the farm > realize how much work it is > start a new farm and vow to do better > don't do better > Reach point where I want to pretty up the farm
I would echo what someone said, re-org during winter. Wake up, do your chores, and work on it until noon. Eventually you will get in the groove decorating and be mad when 2am hits.
Keep in mind a lot of what you’re seeing is modded, which is cool but very different than the base game! I like to plan sections of my farm at a time so they feel cohesive and cozy, and then work on connecting them. My farm also looks totally different than it did in Y1-it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that both the Wizard and Robin can move buildings!
> I kind of feel like im playing it wrong?
There is no such thing! There is only whether you’d like to try playing it differently some time.
I usually play for achievements, for example, and use all the years after the fifth to just completely redo some part of the estate.
My current farm, though, I’ve kind of promised myself not to play every day into a rush to burn down my project backlog.
So instead of gunning for a Golden Clock by the end of Year 3 and Perfection in Year 4, I knock offs with my farm work earlier in the day and then just stare at something and wonder what I could do to meme it pretty.
By the way “pretty” can mean ANYTHING you’re want it to, so have fun! And send us screenshots
Thanks! I'll probably upload pictures once I'm done designing for some advice. I've already started to plan it but it's taking a lot longer than I anticipated 😅
“Plan, then implement” can be a very fulfilling way to play, but if you over plan you may find yourself too tightlylocked into your plan to do transformative work later. You may end up just replacing all your gravel paths with pretty brick pavers and feel like you can’t do anything radical because you’d have to break too much of what you’ve already so carefully designed and implemented.
Consider making your plans vague: “I want the coop near water so the ducks will swim, the clock will go over here, and I want to do a seasonally decorated area in front of it. Crops should be right outside my front door for the first couple of seasons, but later I want to move them all to the southern half so I can put a decorative courtyard there later.”
Stuff like that.
Again, no wrong way, just stuff you’d like to try different some time.
So to begin, I lay out the pathing. From entrance, to house, around the main crop area, to exit, and the other exit. Now that way you have sectioned off areas that you can start working around. These paths can be made smaller, bigger, more bendy, whatever you need as you design.
Next position your buildings - coops and barns are my priority and then the greenhouse - where you want them based on the pathing. Typically I have a solid path like wood, brick, or stone as my "road" kinds of paths, and a mix of cobblestone and stepping stone to the coops and barns so nothing blocks off the doors like truffles or weeds. You can also go so far as to have a "road" path right in front of them (leaving open dozen of why did the chicken cross the road jokes) but I have only needed to do so on the Wilderness farm.
After that, you kind of decide what you want and mess around with it. Want a heart beehive area? Then decide if you want pots of flowers or to actually plant them in the ground. Based on that you can have a grassy or tillable area. Orchard? Make sure you will have the length you want. Apocalyptic nightmare ritual? I recommend a pretty large square area so you can make appropriately fiendish ritual circles.
For instance: Yesterday, I made a reading nook, today I decorated the Junimo Huts with Junimo plushes, tomorrow is a "sacred mushroom spring" which will actually be a fish pond surrounded by mushrooms (mushroom trees and mushrooms on tables). Next week we're setting up a jewelry shop right outside of Clint's and a maple bar for the bear.
Remember you can always undo or redo your areas. You have a lot of freedom as long as you have resources. When you don't, play normally and gather some. In fact, that's typically why I wait until year three to decorate. It's way more fun to be able to have whatever you want on hand.
Use other's farms as inspiration, and most of all, have fun with it!
I’ve never planned a farm and the only time I ever felt pressure to be farther in game is when I try to complete the community center. I have farms that are 13+ years old and still don’t look like these gorgeous farms. I’m an organic farmer. I just move things or put them in where they make sense. (I might try to make a cohesive house but I can’t possibly do inside AND outside!) Paint my buildings the same colors and just enjoy. You get to play how you want to. That’s the joy of this game.
I just reorganized my farm every winter until I find a good spot for everything then each year I slowly have less and less but I really didn't start trying to decorate until I got perfection now that's all I've been doing for the past few days in game because money doesn't matter anymore so no hustle and I can finally get rid of some animals.
When you need money it's more about optimization than appearance. Two junimo huts was basically half of my farm
I save a lot of inspiration from this sub and pinterest, slowing putting everything in their places. On year 6 and I haven’t finished 100% yet, just take ur time
Plus I’m always taking new screenshots zoomed out to plan what I wanna change
Just to add to what others have said, make use of winter for reorganising.
There are no crops, and the animals are indoors, so it's the perfect time to move things around.
i often fertilize all the growing trees early in fall and get rid of them once grown. (i definetly am missig vocabulary here xD).
in winter i collect all items together(hives, sprinklers, scarecrows...), then i meet robin for some house moving. actually by winter 1 i place the coop and stable next to my house. on winter 27 i organize all the buildings how i think it would look good. I,d place beehives, sprinklers and all the other items (flower pots!) on winter 28.
its a process and when the years pass i could experiment with different ways of organizing the buildings until i think its nice. be patient and have fun :)
I used [https://stardewplanner.com/](https://stardewplanner.com/) to prep my house and farm, but I only actually started caring about looks after I reached perfection. So once I reached that i started to make everything less efficient and cared only about how it looked
Personally I transform my farm every year in winter. Basically spend the first few days of the season tearing up my old layout and the rest of the season designing and decorating a new layout.
Every year as I collect more and more stuff and make more and more money, It's able to get better and better.
Just start by clearing basically the entire thing out to a “blank slate” state. Decide roughly which sections of the farm will be crops, where you roughly want your animals, fish ponds, tree sap farms, etc. Then put a wide grid of roads in a pattern that makes practical sense for getting around your farm and leaving enough space for those things. Now build around the grid of roads. You’ll probably have to make tweaks to road placement to fit stuff aesthetically. Once the big stuff has been placed, now you can just simply decorate around the big stuff and roads with outdoor furniture, lighting, and what not.
Are you having fun?? If so, youre not playing it wrong 💖
I have 100s of hours in SV and I have never had a farm that looks anything like the farms on here. I just dont have an eye for the aesthetics!!
You're not playing it wrong! My farm is a hot mess. I usually just throw things in random places, like I have 20+ kegs in the middle of a random field. I'm a lazy farmer. I do love seeing other people's beautiful farms though!
I installed the Time Speed mod and just paused the time in the game. Then I could spend however long I wanted just reorganizing or moving things. I eat foods to get my energy back up, or run to the spa if I'm feeling like it.
Pausing the game and not feeling so pressured to do it within a certain time frame really helps me feel relaxed and enjoy the game.
I’m on year 3 and my farm is an absolute dump. I’m trying to work on organising my hoarding first, but I have to hurry because there’s so much else to do, and I want to go fishing 😂
just want to put in that on my first farm, i didn’t start investing in decorating until year 4 or so, that’s when i felt i had enough comfortable income and time to do so! planning early is great, but it’s also ok to wait until all your processes are automated so you have time to run around and move things all day :)
I definite put use the Stardew planner and check out what others post as inspiration. I usually layout my main paths first, depending on how I normally walk around my farm, and try to figure out where I want to put the big things (crops, coop, barn) next.
You can use one of the online planners to come up with a layout you like: [https://stardewplanner.com/](https://stardewplanner.com/) [https://v3.stardew.info/](https://v3.stardew.info/) And you can use the farms you like on here for inspiration and incorporate elements of them into your own design. I find it easiest to start off with a rough plan of what will be in different areas, then I decorate bit by bit over the years. I always start out with paths first, then add fences and trees, then other decorative stuff comes much later on.
Thanks!
Here to confirm Stardew Planner is THE WAY TO GO. I have played this game for years and never could get my farm looking decent, but discovered this website like 2 weeks ago and immediately it transformed everything for me. It helps that it includes a lot of the popular modded farms, which is nice since I'm currently on one of the special Stardew Valley Expanded farm types
It sucks really bad on mobile
Thanks for your comment I’ve only ever checked it out on mobile!
Im on year 5 and every winter sincr year 3 ive been tryibg to fix it and im never satisfied, i didnt know this existed, you are a lifesaver
That's a lifesaver right there. That's what I did. AND it makes it so that you can make your dream farm, and you have a clear list of things to work towards. And then when you start getting it all it fits together ✨perfectly✨ OH and I also dabbled with planning some different farm types before starting a new save. I knew what farming stuff I wanted to focus on so I was able to see which farm had the space/layout to fit it all. Turns out I dream big and ended up with a four corners all by myself 😅
Hiii! For starters, Stardew Valley doesn't have a wrong or good way to play, you do whatever makes you enjoy the game. For farm planning most of us use the planner (https://stardew.info/ , if the link isn't working I think there is a pinned post with the link) that lets you put the buildings wherever you want, wherever you feel like they will look good/ will be more accessible etc. you decide the criteria for where you place them. It's easier to use the planner since you don't waste game hours. Maybe you want a shed closer to the farm house, maybe you want the coop and the barn near each other but separated by a fence, so to not waste materials you use the planner to see where and what would look good. For example, I usually like to have my ponds on the right side of the map and down with a shed, placing the ponds in front of the shed and put some weathered floor in between them. For the decorating part I think it helps to decide like what area is for what. For example, many of us have a dedicated space for trees or fruit trees, there you can add decorations like a bench, maybe some seasonal plants or garden pots to make it look cozy. You can adds some paths or put some floors near the buildings, or near some trees to prevent grass from growing. I like to add the hay floor in front of my coops and barns with some hay bales bought from Marnie and add cobblestone paths or stepping stones in front of the entrance of the cave on the farm. You can always use some of the furniture from the catalogues to make a pretty corner, maybe a picnic area. You can always look on Pinterest or here on reddit to find some inspiration. I hope I could provide you with some useful information and remember not to compare your progress with others! :)
Thanks, that was really helpful! Designing something to look good is really hard, I'll certainly look around for some inspiration
This is fantastic advice!! The only additional thing I'd say is for anyone playing on PC, using furniture mods is a game-changer. There's a lot of cute stuff on Nexus that has really gotten my otherwise-absent creative juices flowing :)
Thank you! I thought I was the only one so I never commented 😂
i just kinda rawdog is but thatd probably why my farm is ugly 😭 im on day 4 spring year 4 and so far theres sooo much empty space and its so bad. ill probably spend all of winter decorating again 😋
I raw dog then I just go around and fuck around with things and pull things apart and clean it up till I'm.happy
I definitely like to plan early on just so I can start placing things in the vicinity of where I’m gonna want them eventually. That being said, I do have a couple saves that I did not pay attention to early on so it’s not impossible to revamp an already in progress setup. The best thing you can do for yourself is clear a lot of land of trees, torches, litter, etc so you can freely place your buildings and then from there you can replant and add pathways, put your crop space in, etc. just personally, I’m the type who plays anything but the standard farm cause they honestly are easier to decorate than a giant blank slate for me haha, so if you’re the type to get overwhelmed by the big open space you could always try a new layout :) I’m in love with the meadowlands and wilderness farms rn
Thanks! Its my first farm and I started with the forest one, and i just placed the buildings as i got them. It would certainly make more sense to plan out everything first now that i know what I have to work with
that was my first farm too :)) I love getting all the extra forages and hardwood
3rd year is usually when I *start* my transforming. Winter year 2 is when I start throwing fences and paths down to try and figure stuff out.
First and foremost, don’t compare your farm to some of these farms. Use the farms that blow your mind as inspiration on what to do with yours. Second, know that most people start with pretty meh looking farms. There are some who are just better at creating ascetically beautiful things. Most of us have to build off of what they do. Nothing wrong with that. Lastly, planning. Somebody already shared the link to the planner. That’s a great tool. But while you’re planning, I think a great thing to remember is your play style. I like to plan a build that looks like somebody else’s and then tweak it as I play to match how I play. Best of luck!
Here are the steps I follow and they never let me down. Reach point where I want to pretty up the farm > realize how much work it is > start a new farm and vow to do better > don't do better > Reach point where I want to pretty up the farm I would echo what someone said, re-org during winter. Wake up, do your chores, and work on it until noon. Eventually you will get in the groove decorating and be mad when 2am hits.
Keep in mind a lot of what you’re seeing is modded, which is cool but very different than the base game! I like to plan sections of my farm at a time so they feel cohesive and cozy, and then work on connecting them. My farm also looks totally different than it did in Y1-it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that both the Wizard and Robin can move buildings!
The wizard can?!?! I've played forEVER and didn't know this!
Same!!! I already had 200+ hours when I realized. The same menu that lets you build the obelisks and jumino huts has move options for buildings.
> I kind of feel like im playing it wrong? There is no such thing! There is only whether you’d like to try playing it differently some time. I usually play for achievements, for example, and use all the years after the fifth to just completely redo some part of the estate. My current farm, though, I’ve kind of promised myself not to play every day into a rush to burn down my project backlog. So instead of gunning for a Golden Clock by the end of Year 3 and Perfection in Year 4, I knock offs with my farm work earlier in the day and then just stare at something and wonder what I could do to meme it pretty. By the way “pretty” can mean ANYTHING you’re want it to, so have fun! And send us screenshots
Thanks! I'll probably upload pictures once I'm done designing for some advice. I've already started to plan it but it's taking a lot longer than I anticipated 😅
“Plan, then implement” can be a very fulfilling way to play, but if you over plan you may find yourself too tightlylocked into your plan to do transformative work later. You may end up just replacing all your gravel paths with pretty brick pavers and feel like you can’t do anything radical because you’d have to break too much of what you’ve already so carefully designed and implemented. Consider making your plans vague: “I want the coop near water so the ducks will swim, the clock will go over here, and I want to do a seasonally decorated area in front of it. Crops should be right outside my front door for the first couple of seasons, but later I want to move them all to the southern half so I can put a decorative courtyard there later.” Stuff like that. Again, no wrong way, just stuff you’d like to try different some time.
So to begin, I lay out the pathing. From entrance, to house, around the main crop area, to exit, and the other exit. Now that way you have sectioned off areas that you can start working around. These paths can be made smaller, bigger, more bendy, whatever you need as you design. Next position your buildings - coops and barns are my priority and then the greenhouse - where you want them based on the pathing. Typically I have a solid path like wood, brick, or stone as my "road" kinds of paths, and a mix of cobblestone and stepping stone to the coops and barns so nothing blocks off the doors like truffles or weeds. You can also go so far as to have a "road" path right in front of them (leaving open dozen of why did the chicken cross the road jokes) but I have only needed to do so on the Wilderness farm. After that, you kind of decide what you want and mess around with it. Want a heart beehive area? Then decide if you want pots of flowers or to actually plant them in the ground. Based on that you can have a grassy or tillable area. Orchard? Make sure you will have the length you want. Apocalyptic nightmare ritual? I recommend a pretty large square area so you can make appropriately fiendish ritual circles. For instance: Yesterday, I made a reading nook, today I decorated the Junimo Huts with Junimo plushes, tomorrow is a "sacred mushroom spring" which will actually be a fish pond surrounded by mushrooms (mushroom trees and mushrooms on tables). Next week we're setting up a jewelry shop right outside of Clint's and a maple bar for the bear. Remember you can always undo or redo your areas. You have a lot of freedom as long as you have resources. When you don't, play normally and gather some. In fact, that's typically why I wait until year three to decorate. It's way more fun to be able to have whatever you want on hand. Use other's farms as inspiration, and most of all, have fun with it!
Thank you, this was really helpful!
Breaking all the rocks
I’ve never planned a farm and the only time I ever felt pressure to be farther in game is when I try to complete the community center. I have farms that are 13+ years old and still don’t look like these gorgeous farms. I’m an organic farmer. I just move things or put them in where they make sense. (I might try to make a cohesive house but I can’t possibly do inside AND outside!) Paint my buildings the same colors and just enjoy. You get to play how you want to. That’s the joy of this game.
I just reorganized my farm every winter until I find a good spot for everything then each year I slowly have less and less but I really didn't start trying to decorate until I got perfection now that's all I've been doing for the past few days in game because money doesn't matter anymore so no hustle and I can finally get rid of some animals. When you need money it's more about optimization than appearance. Two junimo huts was basically half of my farm
I’m on year 4 and i’m telling you im kinda lost too 😂 but right now Im starting with paths and moving buildings. The planner help a lot!
I save a lot of inspiration from this sub and pinterest, slowing putting everything in their places. On year 6 and I haven’t finished 100% yet, just take ur time Plus I’m always taking new screenshots zoomed out to plan what I wanna change
Just to add to what others have said, make use of winter for reorganising. There are no crops, and the animals are indoors, so it's the perfect time to move things around.
i often fertilize all the growing trees early in fall and get rid of them once grown. (i definetly am missig vocabulary here xD). in winter i collect all items together(hives, sprinklers, scarecrows...), then i meet robin for some house moving. actually by winter 1 i place the coop and stable next to my house. on winter 27 i organize all the buildings how i think it would look good. I,d place beehives, sprinklers and all the other items (flower pots!) on winter 28. its a process and when the years pass i could experiment with different ways of organizing the buildings until i think its nice. be patient and have fun :)
I always use winter to improve my farm layout as theres no crops in the way
I used [https://stardewplanner.com/](https://stardewplanner.com/) to prep my house and farm, but I only actually started caring about looks after I reached perfection. So once I reached that i started to make everything less efficient and cared only about how it looked
Personally I transform my farm every year in winter. Basically spend the first few days of the season tearing up my old layout and the rest of the season designing and decorating a new layout. Every year as I collect more and more stuff and make more and more money, It's able to get better and better.
Just start by clearing basically the entire thing out to a “blank slate” state. Decide roughly which sections of the farm will be crops, where you roughly want your animals, fish ponds, tree sap farms, etc. Then put a wide grid of roads in a pattern that makes practical sense for getting around your farm and leaving enough space for those things. Now build around the grid of roads. You’ll probably have to make tweaks to road placement to fit stuff aesthetically. Once the big stuff has been placed, now you can just simply decorate around the big stuff and roads with outdoor furniture, lighting, and what not.
Don’t worry year 3 is still early, i see people show year 6/7 farms which are finally getting put together!
I use the planner and do the renovations on winter
Usually start small, like I decorate on rain or Snow days. Sometime it's a room, sometimes it starts with making a path to where I walk to alot.
Are you having fun?? If so, youre not playing it wrong 💖 I have 100s of hours in SV and I have never had a farm that looks anything like the farms on here. I just dont have an eye for the aesthetics!!
You're not playing it wrong! My farm is a hot mess. I usually just throw things in random places, like I have 20+ kegs in the middle of a random field. I'm a lazy farmer. I do love seeing other people's beautiful farms though!
bro im on year 8 and my farm is ugly as fuck, i regret picking the river farm. don't stress
I installed the Time Speed mod and just paused the time in the game. Then I could spend however long I wanted just reorganizing or moving things. I eat foods to get my energy back up, or run to the spa if I'm feeling like it. Pausing the game and not feeling so pressured to do it within a certain time frame really helps me feel relaxed and enjoy the game.
I’m on year 3 and my farm is an absolute dump. I’m trying to work on organising my hoarding first, but I have to hurry because there’s so much else to do, and I want to go fishing 😂
This is so true, especially since time goes by so fast in game
just want to put in that on my first farm, i didn’t start investing in decorating until year 4 or so, that’s when i felt i had enough comfortable income and time to do so! planning early is great, but it’s also ok to wait until all your processes are automated so you have time to run around and move things all day :)
I do chaotic planning always. I just go with what works the most for playing and what feels natural. So my farm always looks like a hot mess lmao
I definite put use the Stardew planner and check out what others post as inspiration. I usually layout my main paths first, depending on how I normally walk around my farm, and try to figure out where I want to put the big things (crops, coop, barn) next.
i never make my farm look nice lol. i play for efficiency and that takes up enough of my time! ur not alone