I think there should be more houses in Skyrim. Not just in the cities without houses available for purches but some in the cities that have houses. They could have three classes of houses in the city. Each house a different size and a different price. It could have a 5000 gold house, 15,000 gold house, and a 25,000 gold house. You should also get more freedom of choice with your houses. I have an alchemy lab in my house that I never use. I don't like this. It is taking up space and there could be so many other things there. It should ask you what you want in the basemant of the house. Such as an Alchemy lab, Enchanting lab, Forge, Storage area, Armory, or training facility. This would be great!

Should I refrain from mentioning there are mods for this?

But yeah, more variation and options for customisation would be great.