First play through...level ten...got too much stuff that 'I will surely need someday'...so, buy a house.
Furnishing arrangements sound familiar...one room at a time...haven't checked yet but probably costs twice as much as the house...and until then the place is done up in crates that don't open and cobwebs...nice. Brings back fond memories of that Imperial City shack on the waterfront.
Must say it's a big improvement having the pretty NPC housecarl walking around as storage though...in Oblivion I always had to use a dead pirate for that.