The question is supposed to be somewhat simple - how does one evolve from a well-developed hermitage to a village?
Playing with a friend, we've never had a plot system, therefore there are several safety concerns considering new people in a village:
1. Let them go everywhere and get a risk of them ruining your precious village, stealing your stuff and such. If you're playing with unknown people, the risk is too high.
2. Let them go everywhere, but hide expensive stuff. Hard to do, and a lot of hassle for sure.
3. Expand the village and invite them into an expanded zone, not the one you've had before. Seems pretty good, but considering some stuff, like minehole, it could be pretty frustrating for newcomers to know they have no access to the minehole. The fact that village totem is a "personal area" could make others uncomfortable aswell.
How do others solve the issue?