My setup: NPC overhauls (Patreon)

Updated 11 December 2021

These are the NPC replacer mods I personally use, listed in the exact order I have them installed. All of them are (to me anyway, I guess it's subjective) lorefriendly and well made.

At the bottom of the post is also a link to a google doc I made with links to many more overhauls. Keep in mind both this list and the one in the google document are for LE, but many of these mods have SE versions as well. SE also has a lot of great ones not available for LE.

Total Character Makeover (only facegeoms and facetints - delete the rest)

Inhabitants of Skyrim (I use vanilla hair version)

TK Children (optional: with this, this and this) 

EulogyNPCs

The Men of Winter

Followers Hirelings & Housecarls

Improved Bards

Dandy Husbands

Males of Skyrim

Metalsabers Beautiful Orcs of Skyrim

Fresh Faces

Kalilies NPCs

Bijin NPCs, Warmaidens & Wives

Pandorable’s NPCs

Pandorable’s NPCs - Dawnguard

Pandorable's NPCs - Dragonborn

Pandorable's NPCs - Males

Pandorable's NPCs - Males 2

Pandorable's Initiates

Pandorable's Small Replacers AIO (requires and includes Shield-Sisters, Lethal Ladies, Warrior Women, Black-Briar Ladies, Brelyna, Frea, Serana, Valerica, Marvellous Miners, Pandorable's Heroes of Sovngarde, Devoted Dames)

Want more? Check out my list of NPC overhauls. It's a bit outdated at this point and I don't really have the time to keep it up to date but nevertheless it's a great source for NPC overhauls you might not have heard of.