Habitat for Humanity ReStore
 

Anyone have experience with this? I did some volunteering for Habitat a few years ago and remember that they have an outlet store.

Have a coworker that is looking to remodel a kitchen/bathroom and was wondering if you guys had any experience.

Thanks as always,
Tom

It's hit or miss. Sometimes you score, sometimes you don't. Unless you go regularly/daily, helps to have an "insider" call you when something good shows up. Also depends on the size of the city. The HFH in the big city I live in has great stuff. In the small town I live in (part-time), mostly junk.

Find your local one(s) and check weekly. I got enough nice tile to do both bathrooms for $5, and 2 matching sinks (we have double sinks in both bathrooms) for $10.

I just went to the Portland one last week. Amazing. First, I found a place to unload about 1/2 the crap I have in my garage! Second, I found a place to buy more construction crap at a huge discount. I have been telling tons of people about it. It makes a lot of sense.

Larry

We got one in town.

Makes a lot of sense and you can find stuff that are no longer sold at the normal store, like the cement type laundry double sink which is quite a few notch above the Home Depot plastic version.

I really dig visiting the HFH Restores. Like others have said, it's hit or miss on what you'll find.

Yep, I've donated quite a bit over the years. Plan to do some buying when I finish my basement...

We have one near me. I have a new house and wouldn't put any of that stuff they sell inside. But if I had an older rental, might be able to find some stuff. I did buy two cabinet for like $50 (total...I think) and a 2 $1 cans of spray paint and I hung them in the garage. The one was nice, the other very dark so I painted it white.

I've used the local one both ways- To donate what I didn't need, and to buy what I did.

Not a lot to be had at the one in Charleston, although I did score a few NOS McKinney hinges that match the originals in our 52 year old house perfectly. I'd like to find a couple of doors already cut for a mortise lock to replace two that previous owners cut dog doors into, but that's a tall order. I have no idea where I can find any of those.

Working for a large home builder, we used to give a lot of stuff to the HFHR. Things like appliances, windows, doors, cultured marble tops, etc. None were perfect and some needed parts or servicing, etc. we just couldn't use them, they were outdated and/or broken.

I imagine if you go often enough, you'd find something you could use.

Pay attention to what they have, it is hit or miss. There is one store locally that the manager prices things really high until their friends can show up to buy it.

We bought a VERY nice Kohler cast iron sink for $20.00, enamal still excellent, really nice toilets for $15.00 each, scrap lumber, roofing, etc. You just never know.

There's The Freecycle Network as well.

I just found out about this while visiting my sister this weekend. She put some furniture out on the driveway and told us to look for someone picking it up. She then explained how it works.

She also recently bought a big, deep kitchen sink forma HFH Restore. She painted it before having it installed. I couldn't tell it was used until she told me. IT WAS $25.00.:eek:

Wayne, where is the HFHRS near us?

They even get cars donated to them. A few years ago the one near me had a 914 donated, so I went to look at it. I get there and I'm told they have moved it to a building across the road and a guy takes me over to look at it. Nice shiney paint. I give it the once over. Guy (smiling) tells me they turned down a offer of $15K for it. I told him they should have taken the money and ran and I proceeded to explain what was wrong with the car. Non factory color, home flairs, single carb, fakes fuches ect....he wasn't smiling when I left :)

There seems to be stores popping up all over recently. I don't know where they are close to you, Art but I know there are several in Oakland County as well as Saginaw, Lapeer, and Genesee counties. There is a nice one on Grand River in Brighton, just about 2 miles north of I96. Bonus-there's a Salvation Army store 2 blocks past it.

I would do a google search for the ones in your area.

Thanks, Wayne!

Here is a link to all the states stores. Environmental Initiative: Habitat ReStores -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

Dave