I recently became a first time home buyer and this spring will be the first in my new home. I am a naturally clean person (just ask my fiancée) but there is cleaning and home maintenance to do on top of everyday household chores.

You know it is time for spring cleaning when days get longer and more natural light enters through the windows.

The daylight spotlights those areas that didn’t get much attention during winter.

Dusting is something most people may not do on a weekly basis but it is a good idea come spring.

In my home, I will start by dusting shelves, window sills, baseboards and other surfaces that have started to collect dust.

Another area that has become quite dusty is behind the toilets. That seemed a bit odd to first but I realized most of the particles that accumulated came from the toilet paper.

Another good idea after dusting is to vacuum.

I probably don’t vacuum as often as I should, but after dusting it is a good idea – that way you can assure all those pesky particles have been picked up.

With the additional daylight, I have also noticed fingerprints.

Cleaning windows and other glass surfaces inside the home will make them sparkle come spring and summer.

In the last couple weeks I have started to notice a couple of bugs in my home – my cat usually kills them and eats them but that doesn’t solve the problem.

I don’t know why they are making their way in but I will investigate and then work to keep them out.

Stepping outdoors is a whole new realm for me – I’ve never had a yard to keep up.

My fiancée and I do weekly yard maintenance, including mowing and weeding.

But now that the weather is getting better, we can begin to look around our yard and think about what plants and flowers to add.

We can also start working on outdoor projects – whatever those may be.

The spring will also be a good time for us to get those tools and other household items that we don’t have because we didn’t need them – but now we do.

Also coming this spring and summer with the added daylight is the additional heat the sun provides.

My home has a NEST heating system and I have already noticed that on warmer days, it works harder to keep my home at a consistent temperature. If anyone knows me, they know that warm temperatures and I do NOT get along.

This spring, I will work to keep the temperature in my home down and prepare for the summer.

We have blinds but drapes will be necessary on those windows that let the most light in.

These may all seem like small things to do in the grand scheme of things but our home is a new build and we are new to home ownership – we will start with these and take care of any projects or cleaning that comes our way.

The few months we have been living in our home has showed us that maintenance and cleaning doesn’t just happen in the spring or when something is wrong and it needs to be fixed – it is a 12 month, 365 day part of owning your own home.