One way to alleviate the lack of housing and be a gold sink because it allows for more housing is to have relative dimensional housing. The concept is you can put a whole 31x31 castle in a 4x4 space. The bulk of the castle would exist in a pocket dimension. Similar to the TARDIS on Doctor Who. Bigger on the inside.
Only place I know of with a housing problem is Atlantic. If people would migrate out some, problem would be solved.
It's a choice to make.
You either have a large pop, or you have a large house.
Can't have your cake and eat it too.
As a DEV has not said anything I am wondering how this could effect the housing server. Could you see every house on say Atl with castle size storage and all those vendors. So in that old castle spot you could have what 18-4x4 castle storage spots. Also with this idea there would be no reason to keep the 1 house per account rule, just think we could litter every shard with 4x4 dirt plots. How many little 4x4 plots could luna fit, the possibilities are endless. NOT
Ok way back in the dawn of UO a house of 7x7 size held as much as you could pack in bags, boxes, crates, and chests up to 400 stone/125 pieces. No need for lock downs though you got 15. (great for blocking your door) 1 single secure.
Now in the modern day if you take said house... give it the storage of a castle.. hush I know I hear the dev mind going.. NO NO NO.
hear me out. 99% of the guys playing are not keen into deco...its a fact. I cant tell you how many of them I have seen the inside of and its locked down city of bags etc.. but not even a chair to be seen much less a rug or normal house décor.
Admit it they have the damn building for the storage (some prestige too).
Now most guys can deco just as well as us lady's its a matter of need for them not looks.
The cost of said house should be the same as the castle mind you... I for one can see the cost savings in housing space.
Now I can say for sure that the Dev team will look at my idea and say the past is buried cant raise the dead. its not dead but new bones.
its a small type of house (no need to use a 7x7 up to 12x12 would be just as good), it follows the house lock down rules and number. Prebuilt or slab for building is good ether or both ways.
Even on Atlantic there is places for these size homes that would make a dent in the housing need and storage.
I have seen houses all over the shards.