To establish a home, rent a vacant plot in a settlement that already has an owner, then place a house through the plot plan on that land. Renting the location and placing the building are separate steps. You do not need to purchase an entire settlement just to have a personal base.
Secure a plot for the house
Research and buy the Land Plot Title matching your chosen district. The research unlock does not deliver the physical document, so confirm the actual title is in your inventory before travelling.
Look for an owned settlement with a vacant rental plot. Once inside, use the local map to find the available space and approach its rental sign. Complete the rental agreement there. The plot is the land your structures will occupy; it is not itself a house.
Do not buy a Settlement Title for this task. That document concerns ownership of the whole settlement, while the Land Plot Title is the rental document for one personal plot.
Place the house through the plot plan
Building is item-based: houses and other structures are deployed from your inventory, and building items can be bought or found in loot. After renting, go to the plot plan on your land and use it to place the house item you have obtained. The plan organizes the main building, perimeter wall, and outbuildings, so check the main-building choice when your goal is the home itself.
The house categories include Trailer, Small House, and Mansion. A garage, fence, or production outbuilding serves a different purpose; selecting one is not the same as placing your main accommodation.
Use the available options and requirements shown in your current plan before buying additional building items. The rental document should not be treated as a complete price list or unlock list for every house type. Check the particular structure you intend to place rather than assuming a plot purchase provides every building.
Check which home step is incomplete
If you still have only a research unlock, buy the rental document. If you have the document but no rented land, finish the agreement at a vacant sign in an owned settlement. If the rental is complete, return to the plot plan and check the house placement there.
These are different stages, so repeating a title purchase will not resolve every missing-house situation. Verify land access and the selected main building separately before spending more money.
Once the home is established, storage, workbenches, and defensive structures are further base choices. Add them according to your next activity rather than confusing those purchases with the initial house placement.