We do a general house cleaning when something is noticed like a mouse inside the house or a leaking roof. A carpenter once told us that we should do a general checkup of our house once a year. The first concern is the roof and the rest follows. Here in our place, termites and other pests like rodents are our mortal enemy. Once in a while a mouse would successfully get inside the house in spite of the screen doors. For the general cleaning of our house, we need at least 2 days. The kitchen is the priority and next is the dining room, last are the bedrooms. Rearranging things inside cabinets and display areas really takes a lot of time.
I had a bunch of stuff that I was going to do around the house this summer, and I did almost none of them.
I had no particular plans to do anything with my home. Now, I'm not even sure when I will get to see it again (see "Welcome to Atlantis")! There was a vague and general idea that we should get a new sofa and perhaps have a bit of redecorating done, but I suppose the one small consolation to be taken from some imbecile flooding one's home is that the redecoration is bound to take place. Not, admittedly, the way I'd have chosen, but I suppose it saves us from making a decision.
Some months ago I thought to be unable to keep up my actual apartment (which is more likely kind of duplex house) and might have to move on back to my parents' home due to job is being scarce, the I took off most of my belongings to start packing when the landlord made me change my mind. He is a very kind man who understood the situation and encouraged me to stay, making an amendment to my leasing contract that is now allowing me to pay partially every now and then until job picks up again. So that ready to pack but not needing to do it, my house looks now like a combat zone that I haven't been able to clean at all nor put things back in place. I try to do as much as possible everyday, but I need to make sure to make some money first and this is taking more time that I would regularly use. Even though when cleaning is done, I usually do a deep cleaning on weekends (including laundry) and, just dusting and sweeping through working days. Dishes however should be washed as soon s get dirt, or at least once a day, but actually they usually pile up in the kitchen sink