Thank you very much everyone.
I've looked into this in more detail and found a couple of later censuses that definitely give the house number in addition to the schedule number used by the enumerator.
I've also found the house numbers in Kelly's directories from 1888 and 1896.
These have both led me to the conclusion that, at least during the period from around 1881 to 1911, the house numbers stayed the same (some were divided into e.g. 7a and 7b at various points) and the family did move around between three adjacent properties. Two of these were the halves of a semi-detached building which had shops on the ground floor of at least one and possibly both halves. The other property was on the opposite side of a yard which was, at one time, named after the familiy. What I haven't been able to find out for certain, yet, is whether the family owned the properties - the information I've got hold of from the Land Registry so far doesn't give any information dating that far back - but it seems to be quite likely that they did.
In the town in question, Rugeley, they definitely seemed to number in the more common system of odds on one side and evens on the other, at least in all the records I've come across where there is any information about numbering.
I haven't found the relevant electoral registers yet (probably in the county archive, which is currently undergoing refurbishment) but they might also shed some light on who lived where when.