ReStore: Good Deals for a Good Cause

Remodeling and renovating your home is no small task. Whether it’s time for the flooring to be replaced, the cabinets to be updated, or that old family furniture from the 1960s to finally make its exit, home renovations take time and money. And let’s face it, time and money are something many of us just don’t have in abundance these days. Why spend hours pacing up and down the aisles of the big box stores trying to compare prices and materials? Why spend money on overpriced goods when a better deal is out there to be had?
Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore in Roanoke is a bargain hunter’s one-stop wonder in home renovation supplies. It carries everything from hammers and nails, to cabinets and counters, to furniture and books—all at discounted prices.
Betsy Whitney, deputy director for Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore, agrees that there are many benefits to shopping at the ReStore for all your home furnishing and renovation needs.
“The ReStore probably has the biggest selection of gently used and new home goods and supplies at the lowest prices,” Whitney said. “Everything in the store is 30 to 70 percent off normal retail pricing, and when you shop here, you are not just saving money, you are helping an important cause.”
According to Whitney, all proceeds from the ReStore go to Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that helps provide homes for low-income families by getting the community and the families in need involved in building the homes. Since 1986, 173 homes have been built in the Roanoke area alone.
“When the store first opened in 2002, it was pretty small, and was only available to the public one or two days a week,” Whitney said. “Now it has grown into 20,000 square feet of retail space, and is open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”
While the ReStore once specialized in home furnishings and housewear items, it has now expanded to include plumbing, flooring and hardware, according to Whitney.
“The majority of our merchandise it donated,” Whitney said. “However, when our donations are down, we do buy some items, such as flooring tiles, brand-new from liquidators, then sell them at discounted prices. You can’t beat that.”
Purchasing home materials from the ReStore not only helps support a cause which provides people with homes, but it also helps minimize environmental impact. “When people donate their used goods to the ReStore, it’s like they are recycling,” Whitney said. “They are helping keep things out of the landfill by repurposing them.”
According to Whitney, ReStore’s merchandise changes daily, and is worth checking out multiple times a week. “I think shopping at our store is kind of like treasure hunting,” she said. “You have to come often because the great things don’t last long.
So, when you finally decide to rip up that outdated yellow linoleum that is tainting your kitchen floor, or when you get the whim to redecorate the living room with all new furniture as a Christmas gift to yourself, try buying your materials from the ReStore. Not only will you save money and precious time, you will be helping to provide families in need in the Roanoke Valley with homes of their own.