If there are only two of you, I'd say that anything over 2,000 sq. ft. is too much. And kids/pets add a ton more to clean. You have to consider all that would need to be cleaned. Don't forget windows will need maintenance too! And consider what you would be filling the space with as well.

Thanks to everyone who voted!

We have a newer 1800 SF house ( 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, living,family, dining room kitchen, and it takes me a good 6 hours every saturday to clean), and we;re renovating the basement which will add more time.

I can't imagine anything over 2500 SQ ft, I'd be dedicating my whole weekend to cleaning.

I voted for 3000, but want to change it to 2000. And, I think that less than 1400 sf is too small for 2 persons.

For me it depends on the layout of the house and how much land/yard space there is. I have a couple of acres but only maintain right around the house and let the rest go natural desert. The part we maintain is very easy because it's all rocks and succulents except for one small patch of grass for our pets. I can do it with the weed eater in less than 5 minutes. I know you are talking about the house but I have to mention the yard because it's important to me. I always will want privacy and no neighbors right on top of me, but I don't want to not be able to handle it.

As for the house, if it has stairs, it is automatically harder to clean. My house has stairs and I hate them. Will not have them when I move. Also, the type of flooring can make it harder or easier to maintain. My house is 2000 sq ft, all tile and wood laminate and I clean for about 1-2 hours every day Mon-Fri. (I'm retired but if I worked full time I think I would be worn out) I've never wanted a maid because I don't like people in my house and I always think I can clean better than them!

So, I guess I'd say no more than 3000 sq ft with NO stairs. That I can handle. Oh, 2 people 5 animals, cats and dogs.

I chose 2000.

We're nearly finished with our new 1969 sq. foot home. It has the master upstairs with a full bath and a loft overlooking the rest of the house which is dining/living/kitchen in open concept. A office/library, a guest room, 2nd full bath and a full basement (which has entertaining space, laundry, storage room, etc.).

We moved from a small ranch that was 850 sq. feet, so the new home feels far more relaxed and easy to walk around in without bumping into something or each other - and tons of room for art! I've cleaned it a few times, even though it's twice the space it doesn't seem larger as there are hardly any walls or doorways to work around. We have all the room we need, more sq. footage isn't necessary.

Stairs are VERY easy to clean, no carpet and all flooring is smooth. Just a dustbuster and a slow walk down them. done! The rest is rugs and wood. We worked on the design for 15 years, so a lot of planning and knowing our preferences worked out perfectly.