What I like about these few "locked out" features is that they make the game experience just that much more enjoyable and immersive - I do love wandering around LB with all their wooden houses, and through Mist's beach houses. I do like the paissa/chocobo/whatever skins, because they're rare enough that they don't go beyond being an amusing change in scenery.
Well I think completely different the areas look bland with every single house looking exactly the same. Same reason as to why I never changed to moghouse skin when they first came out everyone had one. The skins are also only rare as they are locked behind FC houses and the ones that are available are expensive on the market. So yes I think players that don't have access to the FC skins should have a cheaper way of making their house unique.