If you’ve ever looked around your home and thought, “I really need to get rid of some of this stuff,” you’re definitely not alone. The tricky part is figuring out what to do with large items once you’re ready to let them go.
A couch, refrigerator, cabinets, or leftover renovation materials aren’t exactly easy to load into a car. You may need a truck, someone to help carry everything, and enough time to make the trip. That’s one reason perfectly usable items sometimes end up sitting in garages, spare rooms, or basements for months.
Habitat for Humanity ReStores can make that process much easier. Many locations offer free pickup for qualifying large donations, so you can clear out your home without having to haul everything yourself.
What Is Habitat ReStore?
Habitat ReStores are nonprofit home improvement stores run by local Habitat for Humanity organizations. They sell donated furniture, appliances, building materials, home décor, and other household items at lower prices. Money raised through the stores helps support Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing work.
ReStores are a little different from typical thrift stores because much of their inventory is related to homes and renovations. You might find everything from kitchen cabinets and light fixtures to furniture, tools, flooring, doors, and windows.
Since donations come in every day, inventory can change quite a bit from one visit to the next.
They May Pick Up Large Donations for Free
One of the biggest headaches with donating furniture or appliances is getting the items to the donation center.
Many Habitat ReStore locations offer free pickup for qualifying large donations. Depending on the store, that may include furniture, appliances, cabinets, building materials, and other bulky household items.
Rather than renting a truck or asking friends to help move a heavy sofa, you may be able to arrange a pickup with your local ReStore.
Pickup rules and availability vary by location, so check with your nearest store before setting anything aside.
Related: 12 Charities That Will Pick Up Your Donations for Free
What Can You Donate?
Habitat ReStores accept a wide variety of household and home improvement items. Depending on the location, common donations include gently used furniture, appliances, cabinets, lighting, doors, windows, flooring, tools, housewares, and building supplies.
Some stores also accept materials left over from remodeling projects, estate cleanouts, downsizing, or business overstock.
Each ReStore sets its own donation rules, so don’t assume that every location accepts the same things. A quick call or visit to the store’s website can tell you what they currently accept.
Related: What to Do With Clothes Goodwill Won’t Take
A Handy Option During Renovations
Renovating a kitchen or bathroom can leave you with cabinets, vanities, sinks, light fixtures, doors, and other materials that are still perfectly usable.
Before sending those items to the landfill, check whether your local Habitat ReStore accepts them. Someone else may be able to use them in their own home project, and your donation can help support affordable housing programs.
Many contractors, remodelers, landlords, and property managers also donate usable surplus materials instead of throwing them away.
Your Donations Help Support Housing
There is another reason people choose Habitat ReStore: the money raised from donated goods supports Habitat for Humanity’s housing work.
Habitat organizations use funds from ReStore sales to help build, repair, and improve homes for families in communities around the world.
That means the old dining table sitting in your garage or the cabinets you removed during a renovation can have a purpose beyond simply taking up space.
How to Schedule a Donation
Start by finding your nearest Habitat ReStore and checking its current donation guidelines. Contact the store, tell them what you have, and ask whether they offer free pickup in your area.
If pickup is available, the store can let you know which items qualify and how to schedule a time.
It’s a convenient option for anyone who has large household items sitting around but doesn’t have a truck or a way to transport them. You get some space back at home, and usable items get another chance to serve someone else.
