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Baethke Plumbing
September 17, 2026

New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

By: Melissa Kingsbury | Redfin Real Estate

Check out the recent Redfin Real Estate article Baethke Plumbing was featured in: New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

Buying your first home is one of the most exciting milestones you’ll ever reach – but once the keys are in your hand, it can be hard to know where to start. Homeownership comes with a new set of maintenance responsibilities, and Chicago-area homes bring a few considerations of their own.

Cold winters, spring moisture, older housing systems, and seasonal temperature changes can all affect how you maintain your home. In this guide, we’ve partnered with local experts to walk you through every room in your home so nothing gets missed.

Whether you’re settling into a home in Oak Park or a new build in Naperville, this checklist is built to help Chicago-area homeowners stay ahead of costly repairs.

Read more by clicking the link below:

New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home | Melissa Kingsbury

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Baethke Plumbing4.7

Based on 981 reviews

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Angela “Jonesie” Jones

2 days ago

I really appreciated how prompt, sincere, timely, reliable, and friendly Baethke Plumbing was. Mitch made the whole experience easy and stress free. If you need a reliable plumber, I would definitely start with them, and request him!

Response from the owner:Thank you, Angela, for your kind words and recommendation. We’re glad Mitch made everything smooth and worry-free while providing prompt, dependable, and friendly service.

Danny Alpert

3 days ago

Baethke is the best plumbling service we have ever used! Honest, hard working, easy to work with and committed to quality. HIGHLY recommended!

Response from the owner:Danny, that is quite the testimonial. Thank you for those kind words.

Rob Crowe

3 days ago

Top quality work.

Response from the owner:Thank you, Rob, for recognizing the quality of our work. We appreciate your support and are grateful you chose Baethke Plumbing.

Kartika S

1 week ago

Josh and Mike were fabulous with my 4 month-long plumbing projects - some serious some light - but they treated each one with the utmost cleanliness and care, no extra dings or dents made to the house that were not necessary. It is not easy to find that level of white glove service for serious leak repair projects. I would definitely recommend them.

Response from the owner:Kartika, thank you for taking the time to share this. We’re glad Josh and Mike handled both the bigger leak repairs and the smaller items with careful workmanship, kept things tidy, and respected your home throughout the project. We truly appreciate the recommendation.

Bob Lyman

1 week ago

Josh was a pleasure to work with! He was professional and went above and beyond to help us with our plumbing issues.

Response from the owner:Thanks so much, Bob, for taking the time to share this. We’re glad Josh was professional, easy to work with, and put in the extra effort to get your plumbing issues sorted out. We appreciate you choosing Baethke Plumbing.

Dan Lambert

2 weeks ago

Josh Hall and Mike were prompt, sincere, timely, reliable, and friendly. Baethke Plumbing is lucky to have two such fine representatives for their services, and we personally will continue to recommend Baethke to our high rise neighbors for all plumbing needs. Dan Lambert

Response from the owner:Thank you for the 5-star rating, Dan. We appreciate you choosing Baethke Plumbing, and it means a lot to know you had a good experience with our service.

Ed Suhrbur

2 weeks ago

Baethke Plumbing was prompt, timely, reliable, and friendly. The field worker did a good and efficient job. I would gladly recommend them to anyone looking for a dependable plumber.

Response from the owner:Ed, thank you for the kind feedback. We’re glad our team arrived on time, was easy to work with, and got the job done efficiently. We appreciate you recommending Baethke Plumbing to others looking for a dependable plumber.

Randi Hall

2 weeks ago

I've hired Baethke Plumbing numerous times for my condo unit. I recently called them out to investigate a water leak in my kitchen. Donnie, the service technician, was prompt (8AM sharp!) and immediately found the source of the problem. Donnie provided me clear recommendations on how to resolve the issue. He was sincere and thorough throughout the visit and I appreciate Baethke's responsiveness overall.

Response from the owner:Randi, thank you for continuing to choose Baethke Plumbing for your condo. We’re glad Donnie arrived right on time, pinpointed the kitchen leak quickly, and walked you through clear options to fix it. We also appreciate your note about our responsiveness and the care taken during the visit.

Robert Galloway

2 weeks ago

Baethke Plumbing was prompt, sincere, timely, reliable, and friendly. It is easy to see why they are a trusted plumber near me. If great service had a favorite place, this would be it. Extremely helpful in solving our sump pump issue quickly and efficiently.

Response from the owner:Thank you, Robert, for taking the time to share this. We’re glad our team arrived promptly, treated you with care, and got your sump pump issue resolved quickly and efficiently. We appreciate your trust and are here anytime you need a hand.

Gladys Sanchez

2 weeks ago

I really appreciated how prompt, sincere, timely, reliable, and friendly Baethke Plumbing was. They made the whole experience easy and stress free. If you need a plumber, I would definitely start with them.

Response from the owner:Gladys, thank you for taking the time to share this. We’re glad our quick arrival, dependable work, and friendly service helped make the process simple and low stress. We appreciate the recommendation and we’re here anytime you need a hand.

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Author Bio

John Baethke

Owner, Baethke Plumbing

John Baethke is the owner of Baethke Plumbing, a trusted Greater Chicago plumbing company known for exceptional customer service, technical expertise, and continuous employee training. With experience in modern plumbing and HVAC solutions, he is committed to delivering reliable, forward-thinking service. John also serves on several industry boards and committees and is a Past President of the Illinois Plumbing, Heating, and Cooling Contractors Association.

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Redfin Repost: New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

In This Article

New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

Read more by clicking the link below:

Plumber vs. Handyman: Why It’s Illegal for a Handyman to Do Plumbing in Chicago

What Is an Overhead Sewer? How It Stops Chicago Basement Backups

What Is a Catch Basin? What Chicago Homeowners Need to Know

How Long Do Sump Pumps Last? Signs Yours Is Failing

Do You Need a Permit for Plumbing Work in Chicago?

Author Bio

John Baethke

Redfin Repost: New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

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Author Bio

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Redfin Repost: New Homeowner Checklist: 6 Areas to Check in Your Chicago Home

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