Very simple/quick question.

One thing I didn't care for much in previous games was that if I broke into someone's house in the night and looted all their junk, I could go back to that same house months and months later and the stuff would still be gone.... People would just be living in an empty house. o.o

Is that still the case in Skyrim? Or do items in homes actually respawn after awhile now? I don't know, I just always thought it was silly, and honestly discouraged me from playing a rogue/thief character 'cause I didn't want to empty out a whole town permanently after a night of going all klepto. >.> Don't even care if it's the exact same stuff that pops up, as long as *something* does. Anyone?

This is for both items in chests, AND items that are just laying around on tables and shelves.

I stole everything in an alchemy shop at one point. When I came back next time (some days later), she had restocked. I don't know about private homes.

I also know that some NPCs never restock gems in chests, etc.

The chests I can honestly see, and even be cool with. I think that perhaps I'm just being a bit of a cosmetics [censored] here. I absolutely hate the idea of clearing out a house/shop and then it being empty in the game world forever. It makes me stupid happy to hear you say that shops will restock over time.

Can anyone confirm if this is also the case in homes?

Bumpity bump.

Epic bumpage.

I don't know the answer, but I can tell you dungeons respawn. They can respawn "too well" actually.

Containers, treasure chests and shelves respawn. That is normal because bandits need to store their loot and they need to eat too.

Now as for why they respawn too well.
Named npcs which you have already killed, re-spawn. That makes it feel like they can come back to life.
The guard's corpse that was on the floor, implying that he was killed by the named npc? Well you looted his armor a few days ago. But if you come back a few days later, his armor will respawn! Hang on, didn't you loot it off him a few days ago?
Now sometimes dwemer ruins have some artifacts on the ground. No problem, you collect them and then sell them. But if you come back a few days later, the exact same stuff are at the exact spots that you looted them from! Who put them there? Dwemer ruins are supposed to be deserted, why would those same items still be there?