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Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim's 'Hearthfire' DLC has been announced by Bethesda.

Releasing for Xbox Live Arcade next week, 'Hearthfire' enables users to purchase land and build their own homes from the ground up.

Once a plot of land has been purchased, users can design anything from a simple one-bedroom cottage to a sprawling mansion.

Homes can be fitted with armouries, alchemy labs, stables and gardens, and populated with mounted trophies, display cases, animals and even adopted children.

Players can use their workbenches to transform raw materials into furnishings, or hire stewards to do the work for them.

Stewards also double up as personal bards and offer several transportation options.

'Hearthfire' will be available for 400 Microsoft Points (£3.40/$5) on September 4. Bethesda is yet to announce a PS3 or PC release date.

Bethesda has previously updated Skyrim to provide improved kill cameras and to add Kinect support to the Xbox 360 version.

The game's first expansion, 'Dawnguard', launched in July, and introduced a new questline involving ancient vampires.

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