And for god's sake, I'm not advocating houses like you see them in RPGs, where you can 'decorate' and expand them buying certain goodies, or get an automated butler or something
When not at home, a text provided by the owner could be displayed. Something like: "You are warmly welcomed by a servant presenting herself as Lucilla. She has to apologise for her Lord's absence, but invites you to visit the estate and stay for coffee if you would like to." Or: "The house is in bad shape. Your servant knocks the door several times, but nobody approaches to welcome you. Either you are not wanted here, or the residents have been long gone."
In this way, the house could present itself as some sort of 'profile page' for the characters involved.
(my apologies for the facebook references
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