What sandbox settings (Or mods) to use to make the world not feel empty?

I've been trying some suggested settings for the sandbox mode (You know the kind, everything set to "insanely rare"), but those have often felt dissatisfying. I understand that the apocalyptic world would be empty, especially months after disaster, but why does it feel like the world has been wiped clean by langoliers?

I can imagine a ransacked home would have everything not nailed down stolen long before I get to it, but when I clear out a zombie infested neighbourhood and break into seemingly untouched households with locked doors and unbroken windows there seems to be no trace of everyday clutter that nobody would bother taking with them when running away from a disaster. Why is there not a single spoon or toothbrush among half a dozen posh two storey houses with multiple bedrooms? Some tupperware? Plastic cups? Utensils? Cutlery? Was the mop a family heirloom that the butler decided to preserve at the cost of their own life? Fine, maybe they all took everything with them, but then why are the streets and roads empty after everyone clogged them to the point of deadlock (As per radio and TV broadcasts) and the cars that are present have none of the loot that was seemingly jam packed into them?

Now naturally bumping the rarity of items is the first thing I've tried, but the categories are too broad so I simply end up populating every cupboard with tools, guns, ammo and tons of food.

Is there a setting combination or perhaps a mod that populates the world with junk and everyday items that make sense while keeping important stuff relatively rare?