Firstly, I apologise if anyone has seen a topic like this before. I have looked through the various topics in both 'Skyrim' and 'Hearthfire' and seen similar topics, but not one that answers my question. So, I decided to start a new topic and post it here.... I hope this is in the correct place

I am happy enough with the vanilla houses that Skyrim provided, and with the added plots that HF provided, I was left with more then enough choices of places to call home. However, I have been finding recently, that being spoilt for choice has left me with a problem.

What do I do with all the houses?

I used to buy Breezehome in Whiterun first, as the game seems to play out that way. I mainly used the space to store all the junk I was carrying rather then for actual living. Then, after getting HF, I only bought Lakeview Manor in Falkreath. When playing with my main character last week, I decided that since I was done building Lakeview Manor, I would invest in more houses and expand my real estate. I headed to Whiterun and proceeded to purchase Breezehome. I set about upgrading it before moving in.

So I now have 2 houses, fully upgraded. Then it dawned on me. What do I do with my new home?

I spend most of my time in the south of Skyrim, hence I built Lakeview Manor. Everything I need is right there, and yet it is also my home. I thought about moving my home to Whiterun and leaving my base of operations in Falkreath. Trouble is, from an RP point of view, I would spend the night in Whiterun, then have to travel to Falkreath to 'work' before I could even head out into the world. This isn't ideal as time in Skyrim seems to fly past :/ (Joys of not having a PC version I suppose...)

If i'm having this trouble now, with only properties, what will I do if and when I buy more houses?

So, my question to you all is this:

How do you use your houses? (Do you use one for living in, one for supplies, one for everything, buy them all just for the sake of it etc etc). Whether or not you have HF, please answer this if you can as it applies either way

I pick one house that is usually a base of operations, or primary home. The first house purchased serves that purpose until I have other options. Usually starting off with Breezehome for obvious reasons, but generally Hjerim will end up being my HQ once I own it - it's a no-brainer for a Stormcloak character, but it's my favorite house of the five even after modding all of them to suit me, so even a Legion character would end up calling it home once it was obtained. Breezehome and Honeyside are just too small and cramped, unless you mod the interiors to be way larger than the exteriors, which I won't do. I'll add or expand a basemant for more crafting and storage space but that's about as far as I'll go. Proudspire Manor looks like it should be decent sizewise but still feels claustrophobic to me. I've come to really like Vlindrel Hall especially after some modding on it, but can't quite get over my dislike of spending a lot of time in the Reach or in Markarth.

Anyway - even if I pick one house in which to live as a primary home, the others still serve as homes for any housecarls I've acquired, and as places to store and display loot and trophies - I like to display trophy weapons and armor and other items I got while adventuring in the home that feels like the most appropriate place for them. For instance, if I do the Companions questline, unique items gotten in the course of that will be kept in Breezehome if I'm not using them, as will trophies obtained from "Whiterun specific" quests like the one for the priestess of Kynareth. If I do the CW quests for the Stormcloaks I'll have all my SC armor and trophies from the war - Imperial armor sets and weapons taken from dead enemies, whatever rewards I got from Ulfric - on display in Hjerim. On the other side I'd probably display that stuff in Proudspire.

Stuff like Red Eagle's Bane gets put on display on Markarth, unique items gotten from quests in the Rift go to Honeyside. And if I become Thane of a hold where I have a house, the "Thane weapon" goes on display there.

Since I use UFO which lets me have multiple followers - who can be kept on a sort of "retainer" indefinitely - I'll often have a favorite follower living in one of my homes even if I'm not there. Saves me having to go track them down if I decide I want them along for an adventure.