For me, owning a house is all about convenience which is why I much prefer the Whiterun house to any others. Can run quickly to it and I stuff all my loot into one storage container anyways, so I'm not looking for much. All the mannequins and high number of dressers/containers with things on the wall is just too much wasted time.
If all the fancy houses were quicker to get in and out of then I would not mind at all bossin the place up, but otherwise, Whiterun ftw.