Not House Rules So Much As Good Habits, Setting Expectations, and Pre-empting Best Practices (or How Steve Learned To Stop Worrying and Love DMing):
The Rule of Cool
If performing a ‘fancy’ action has no mechanical benefit over doing the same action in a non ‘fancy’ way… there should be no penalty for doing so, and in many cases, no roll at all! DO IT! I LOVE IT!
For example, a PC says: “I want to take a few step run-up then perform a somersault over the banquet table, coming up on my feet on the other side comically covered in food, then swing my sword at the nearest of the Baron’s bodyguard.” - The usual schtick might be to make the PC roll athletics or acrobatics to perform such a stunt, with little to no benefit for success, and a penalty of falling down or having to attack at disadvantage, or not making it to the other side at all depending on the degree of failure.
Now assume for a second that an identical-in-function turn could be performed by the PC stating “I move six squares around the table and attack.”
What’s more fun? No benefit? No roll. Very entertaining, everybody wins.
That said: if they’re trying to be fancy in order to go over the table when to get there by walking around casually would be beyond their range, or they’re asking for advantage on the attack roll due to the surprise/absurdity of the maneuver: absolutely, I’d impose a DC whatever skill check as appropriate to the stunt and the desired outcome (if that outcome is achievable at all.)
Ability Check Yourself Before Everybody Else Tries to Wreck Yourself Game
If there is no penalty for failure, the task can be accomplished by attempting it over-and-over-again without consequence until a success is rolled, there is (effectively) unlimited time to accomplish a thing, or the act itself is mundane and performed without duress, don’t roll at all. You succeeded, congratulations! Generally assume success and describe your actions as such, and don’t ‘ask to make a roll’, just lead with “I’m doing the thing.” and continue unless the DM pauses you asking for dice to be thrown.
We make too many ability checks in D&D for dumb things, and its a waste of time. Seriously. If you are picking a lock, and proficient in picking locks, and there is no trap associated with the lock, and no pressure or anything (like combat going on around you) harrying you: you open the lock without a roll. *I* can pick most locks with the proper tools, and I haven’t been doing it for that long, and my tools aren’t the expensive ones. A professional? No problem. Same with say… climbing a ladder. The average person can climb a ladder, and they’re not a heroic adventurer. Now, make that climb during an ice storm, while being shot at, or while the ladder is on fire… That’s a different story.
Are You Proficient?
Expect to hear “Will those of you proficient in perception/arcana/nature etc please make [the check].” instead of “Everybody roll for…”.
When you have four or six or more PCs at a table, and the result of any one person making a successful check is everybody gains xyz bit of information or lore or whatever, then the DM should skip the roll and just give you the tidbit, because somebody is going to roll high enough when you shotgun enough dice. Proficiencies matter, they represent time spent specifically training a given skill or learning a field of knowledge. This makes them more valuable, and provides an actual chance of failure, making rolls more dramatic.
The First of Us.
The first one to say they do the thing, does the thing.
“I want to search the room. Can I roll to see if I find something?” is far too often followed by a chorus of “me too!” and a clatter of dice in full 7.2 THX Dolby Digital surround sound. And like the above, if a half dozen people are rolling then the chance of failure is miniscule and the roll itself becomes meaningless. Sure, we may RP that everybody is scouring the victim’s study for clues as to who caused their untimely demise, but that search will or will not prove fruitful based upon the results of the roll from the person who instigated the action.
The Best of Us.
If an action is a planned, coordinated effort, then only the Most Proficient person rolls. If the action can logically benefit from assistance, then doing so is treated as if the Help action was taken, allowing the Most Proficient person to make said roll with advantage.
Like the above. Keeps it dramatic.
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