Most of us are somewhere between neat and messy because being neat is really just a matter of available time.

Fortunately, there are a few things that create an illusion of neatness without actually having a crew of English slaves doing constant maintenance, for illusion is sort of like sweeping the dirt under the rug.

To begin:
Sweep the paths clean or better still get someone to give you a blower. Blowers really make light work of paths and terraces, even leaves, without blisters from wielding a broom. And clean walks give that clean illusion (like the dirt under the rug).

The lawn is most important for an illusion of neatness. A lawn doesn't have to be good grass, just uniformly flat and hopefully green. No fuzzy seedheads, no different heights, no big bare spots. This may mean mowing a little oftener, and also overseeding twice a year (spring and late summer) to keep new grass coming. To compensate for the extra time mowing in very visible areas, mow less often in areas farther from the line of vision.

Make neat, crisp, edged beds. Nothing makes a yard look neater. Edging can be done with a spade, but the best tool is a sharp, flat edger. Push the edging tool straight down with your foot, and then flick the soil up and into the bed. Even better get a professional gardener, once a year, who will do the edging in lickity split time because he's had lots of experience.

Some caveats. Mulch should be no more than 2-4" deep, and NEVER, NEVER piled up against tree trunks. No mulch volcanoes. They cause rot and insects. Mulch around trees should be pulled away from the trunk to expose the root flare. This is where the trunk flares out just before the soil line. If a tree has no root flare but looks like a telephone pole, it is buried too deep.

Another trick is to mass flowers in one or just a few places, and keep those beds looking good. It's easier than having little measles of slightly neglected flowers sprinkled all around.

Hello

Myth No. 1 Vinegar is a great cleaning fluid.
Not if you’re a hard wood floor or a varnished or otherwise shiny type surface. It is true that vinegar is great, diluted considerably I might add, for many cleaning jobs, particularly for breaking down greasy grime, but do dilute it well, and don’t use it in any strong measures or possibly at all on varnished wood or hard wood flooring and some other shiny surface. It is after all, an acid. It may well dull your shine.

Myth No. 2 Bleach is a great cleaner and will kill all germs.
Bleach, either neat or diluted dependent on surface, is the single best cleaner and will kill all germs. Wrong. Although mostly effective, if you don’t make sure the surface is thoroughly clean from limescale, grease and other deposits first, then germs still have a place to breed. Clean every surface thoroughly before bleaching.