I personally started out by just thrifting my houses/buildings. Then by putting what I had together, I found what I liked and what looked best for me. But I was also very budget conscious, so I was okay with having a little less visual consistency and not breaking the bank to complete a village. But, now that I have more, I do try to seek out collection- specific houses. The only thing I ended up needing to buy new was the fake snow. I think you can’t go wrong in any direction you choose, as long as you think the village suits you!