Keep the current system for those that value it, make it cost whatever fixed price you want, keep wards and just plop the house down on it, and charge a few extra dollars for the storage if it's hurting you. However, after seeing the 3.3 patch on housing, you're missing the problem. FFXIV's housing is a liability with half a dozen games now having far better and accessible housing systems. It's something most people play FFXIV in spite of or in ignorance of. Not 'because of', and that's a problem.

You need instanced housing. It opens up a LOT more options, and it will not only keep people occupied, but flower a whole other portion of the economy. I don't blame SE for wanting their housing to do something different, but it's definitely not doing it and it's costing them in appeal.

The point is, instanced housing scales with population and pays dividends. The current system is something I have to talk around to recruit new players to the game.