Being a land owner in Second Life requires a certain amount of knowledge so that you have enough information to manage your piece of virtual property. The intention of this page is to provide you as a land owner, with enough knowledge allowing you to maintain and enjoy your piece of virtual real estate in Second Life.
At Count Burks Estates having your own Island is one thing, but being able to make use of its myriad of options and parcel settings is another.
The most important way for you to control your property is by making use of the ABOUT LAND window. You can enable the ABOUT LAND window by right clicking on the ground of your Island, then select the option ABOUT LAND and the window with all its settings and options will appear to you.
Important things to know about your rental land in Second Life.
As you might be aware, Second Life offers hundreds if not thousands of separate controls inside of the viewer. In case you didn’t know, the viewer is the program you are using to log into Second Life.
While this might come across as intimidating to many people at first, it is certainly worth it to learn many of the controls the viewer has to offer. This will enhance your in world experience drastically, allowing you to navigate the metaverse more comfortably.
Remember at one point when you had a hard time to dress your avatar at first? You took to time to learn some settings and controls and are now able to enjoy your in world appearance and have the competence to customize your avatar to your liking.
When you have your of very own piece of virtual land in world the same applies here as well. Knowing the basic settings for your island will allow you to properly build; landscape; stream music and video. But also manage your security settings; keep track of your Land Impact and prim consumption; allowing your partner to set their Home Location on your island and so on…
To assist you to get you started fast you will find a handy list of frequently asked questions on this page accompanied by links to helpful articles which cover certain topics more in depth to provide you with the sufficient info you will need to manage your land parcel.
Frequently Asked Questions about your land FAQ.
1. How do I set my Home Location on my island?
Answer: At the top of your viewer window select the WORLD menu. From this menu you scroll down a little and select the option Set Home To Here. When you will teleport to your Home Location from anywhere in Second Life you will arrive back at your own island which is both handy and convenient.
2. How do I teleport back to my Home?
Answer: At the top of your viewer window select the WORLD menu. From this menu you scroll down a little and select the option Teleport Home, also the keyboard combination CTRL + SHIFT + H will directly teleport you home. When you are using the Firestorm viewer there is an icon with a home at the very top left corner in your viewer window. Clicking on this icon also takes you to your Home Location.
3. Is it possible for my partner or friends to set their Home Location on my land?
Answer: Yes this is perfectly possible, however in order to allow your partner or your friend to set their Home Location on your property, you will need to deed your island to your Group first. Any person you wish to grant the privilege to set their Home Location on your island must be a member of your Group. If this all sounds too complicated to you just IM Count Burks for help and I will be glad to assist you.
4. How do I deed my land to my group?
Answer: Please read this article for a detailed description on how to Deed your land to your own group.
5. Am I allowed to have a skybox or platform above my land?
Answer: Yes it is ok to build a skybox above your island or have several building platforms. There is no limitation on how many skyboxes or platforms you can have in the air. Please make sure that your skybox or platform is at a minimum height of 555 meters up to 4096 meters high above the clouds. The minimum height is to protect the views on the island so that all people are able to enjoy having nice views when they look at the airspace.
6. Can I use off sim rocks; waves; landscapes or other structures in front of my property?
Answer: When you have an ocean front island you are entitled to use your ocean front space as you desire. As long as your off sim objects are in front of your shoreline and not enter the neighboring islands you can use your own rocks; waves; waterfalls or any other structures you like in front of your island as off sim objects.
7. How do I add music to my land?
Answer: In order to stream music on your island you will need to have a valid working music URL. There are many music URLs to be found but plenty of them become outdated or obsolete after a while. This is caused by server updates which are performed by the streaming providers.
Radio stations and stream providers will very often refresh the links of their stations. Once you obtained a valid music URL you will be able to enter your music stream in the ABOUT LAND window.
Simply right click the ground of your island and select ABOUT LAND. In the ABOUT LAND window you select the SOUND tab. Here you can enter your music stream.
Once you have done this close the ABOUT LAND window and click the play button in your viewer. You will see a music note icon at the top right corner inside of your viewer. Here you will find the play button to start streaming media on your land.
Should you have trouble with this just IM Count Burks and I will come to help you. When you aren’t able to find a suitable music stream to your liking you can tell Count Burks which music you prefer and I will provide you with a stream you like for your island.
An alternative to adding your own stream is making use of a radio. There are radios available on the Second Life Marketplace such as a Trigitec radio which allow you to pick from several radio stations. There also exist television systems in Second Life who will provide you with both TV and a built in radio which can make things more easy.
8. How can I have a TV on my island?
Answer: You will find several types of TV systems in Second Life, some might not cost much or even come free when you purchase a house while others can cost a bit more but will give you a much better experience. When you would like to have a good TV system that will allow you to watch full movies, but also supports Youtube and other media channels just ask Count Burks and I will point you in the right direction. Installing your TV on your island is pretty straightforward as your TV system will come with instructions on how to set everything up. Should you have difficulties with the installation of your media system you can always ask Count Burks to assist you with this.
9. Is it possible to have privacy on my land?
Answer: Yes, all rental parcels and islands at Count Burks Estates do come with a privacy feature which you can find in the ABOUT LAND window under the OPTIONS tab. In the center of this window you will see an option stating the following:
“Avatars On Other Parcels Can See Or Chat With Avatars On This Parcel.” To enable your privacy make sure that you uncheck this particular option in the ABOUT LAND window and your privacy will become active. Nobody will be able to see or hear you when you are using Voice chat while being on your land. Yourself and your guests who are accompanying you on your island will appear as invisible to anyone who is not with you on your island.
10. Can I put up a wall around my island for my privacy?
Answer: If your wall or structure is not an eye sore this is possible, you can also use things such as hedges or trees and rocks to help you form a natural barrier between your own parcel and your neighbors. Also should you have a strong distaste to have neighbors Count Burks Estates has special land types available to accommodate your wishes and needs. You can just mention to Count Burks you would prefer to have land without any neighbors or other people close around you because privacy is important to you. Then we will look together for the best solution so that you can live on your island in an undisturbed manner.
11. Am I allowed to use a security orb?
Answer: Yes you can use a security system on your property to protect your island from intruders. We fully understand you do like it when strangers would invade your privacy, your land or your house so it is ok to use a security system.
When using a security system please make sure that your security device is not sending messages outside of your parcel or shouts all over the sim. Also if you do not have a security system you can ask Count Burks for a security orb. Count Burks will provide you with a security orb for free and even configure the orb for you so that your island is fully protected from any intrusion.
12. Can I lock my land and put up ban lines?
Answer: While Count Burks Estates does not encourage the use of ban lines as they do not look very pleasant to watch in certain cases it is possible. Also on certain land types such as Homestead islands the usage of ban lines or yellow lines is perfectly fine. You can speak with Count Burks if you would like to block access to strangers and make usage of ban lines on your land.
13. Will I be able to landscape the ground or terraform my land?
Answer: Yes you will have the full ability to adjust the terrain of your island and will be able to make full use of the terraforming tools. Terraforming is permitted as long as your landscape isn’t forming an eyesore for your neighbors. When you are the owner of a complete sim you have no restrictions whatsoever when it comes to landscaping your island. Also should you have issues with landscaping you can always IM Count Burks and I will look to help you with landscaping your terrain soil.
14. Can you restart the sim for me if needed?
Answer: Yes when needed, for example when you have performance related issues you can IM Count Burks and I will come to help you with your technical issues. Count Burks will also check on the entire region to ensure that everything is properly functioning again and if needed the island will also receive a restart.
15. It is possible to have a custom .RAW terrain file for my land?
Answer: When you own a Full Region or Homestead island it is possible to have a custom .raw terrain file being used on your simulator. Please contact Count Burks to discuss the details about this as it involves several steps to get a custom .RAW terrain file placed on your sim. Keep in mind that it is a must to have a complete sim, either full sim or Homestead region.
16. Is it allowed to have some animals on my land?
Answer: Yes, many people have pets or animals on their property these days. Over the years the simulator code in Second Life did vastly improve to the order that simulators can handle the use of normal household pets without any issues. Should you wish to have a larger of numbers of animals or breedables pets you can speak about the requirements that you have with Count Burks and we will look into the best solution. Even if you have a farm or are into breeding as a hobby Count Burks will be able to accommodate your needs.
17. Will I be able to build a store or a club on my land?
Answer: If you did purchase a Residential island then the intention of this type of parcel is to use it to build your home on your property. Having a small dance floor to dance with your partner or a couple of friends is ok.
However when you wish to build structures like a shop, mall, club, venue or any other type of public spaces you will be in need for commercial land.
Count Burks Estates has a selection of commercial properties available to accommodate your needs if you desire to build a club or store. Just IM Count Burks directly and we will look to provide you with the right type of land for your needs.
Mixing commercial and residential spaces within the same region often leads to conflict. This is the reason why commercial and residential properties are being kept apart. It is allowed to build your house on a commercial sim if you feel inclined to do so.
Some people wish to have their house and store on the same property, should you wish to do this you can when your parcel is located on a commercial sim.
18. Do I have to be a Premium Member to own my land with you?
Answer: No, there is no need to be a Premium Member or pay for Premium Membership in order for you to own your island. When you purchase your land with Count Burks your land will be in your name and you will have complete control, access and ownership of your property exactly as you would when you would be paying for Premium Membership.
19. Where can I find the tier box to pay my rent?
Answer: Count Burks Estates makes use of a tier meter which is placed in the corner of your property. Here you will be able to directly pay your rent, by right clicking the tier meter and then choosing the Pay button. If you do not wish that your tier meter is on your property, it is possible to have a separate tier office location in world where you can then go to pay for your rental.