Have you shopped at Habitat for Humanity's store?

[Baba]

I went recently to Habitat for Humanity's outlet store or resell store as they like to call it and found some great buys for The Stone House project. It seems they have almost anything.
http://babasfarmlife.blogspot.com/20...one-house.html

[melina]

We shop there all the time and have found some great deals. I always recommend the Restore if someone isn't in a hurry and doesn't have a hang-up about things being brand new.

[cantcutter]

I have been in ours a few times...no deals there!!! I needed some bricks for a project, they wanted 50 cents each. I went to the masonry supply store and payed 37 cents each. Also have looked at other stuff there in the past few years and it was all the same story...costs more than retail.

I really don't like habitat anyway...they knock down today's gettos to build tomorrow's gettos.

[wally]

I will not support a group such as this,wally

[deb]

Originally Posted by cantcutter

I have been in ours a few times...no deals there!!! <snip>...costs more than retail.

I really don't like habitat anyway...they knock down today's gettos to build tomorrow's gettos.

When we go to Madison we try to stop at the Habitat Resell store and we generally find lots of good deals, even if it isn't something we need LOL. Stock moves fast so I think we could find more stuff if we went more often. Everything is priced very reasonably and the folks who volunteer at the store are great.

I don't know where you live, but Habitat doesn't "knock down today's ghettos" nor are they building "tomorrow's gettos" here!

In my rural county, Habitat houses are built in small towns, generally within walking distance of the "downtown" and schools. The plot of land for the house is donated, fundraising for and working on the house are really big community projects that get county wide support. The families buying Habitat houses work hard on their houses and they keep up their house afterward. The Habitat families generally have children so that boosts the funding for the school as well. It is a win-win situation for everyone.

deb
in wi

[Common Tator]

I have gotten some great deals at our restore!

[mosepijo]

Went to one here in Oregon.. No deals whatsoever. And had a bunch of junk. Probably wont ever go back.

[Stephen in SOKY]

Seriously overpriced here. I wanted to shop there to show support, but as noted above, prices are often more than new on many items. Seems odd, they're in donated space, all items are donated, even their truck was donated, yet their prices are absurd.

The one in St. Louis is awful.

I went in to price doors and found one for $350. I went to Home Depot and found the same exact one for $325-WITH a garantee! The rest of the stuff at the Restore was overpriced, too ancient (not just "old" but seriously old!) or it was stuff that we couldn't use at all.

I've been disappointed every time I've gone in there.

[Bonnie L]

The one here is great. I can usually find clothes that fit & it's where I found my All American canner. Have to go to Spokane for the building supplies, tho. The prices are good, especially compared to Goodwill, our other 2nd hand store. But Goodwill has paid employees, Habitat has volunteers.

Here, too, the houses they help build are nice. Being a small town, we don't have ghettos or even suburbs & what gets built fits in.

[cantcutter]

I don't post personal information online like locations, but our habitat is not manned by volunteers. Here they are payed employees, which might explain the higher prices than in other areas. I did a couple of contracts for them and that is how I came to my conclusion about ripping down ghettos and building back ghettos.

I will not bid any again.

[cfabe]

I've been to about 6 of these stores in Ohio and Michigan. They vary in size and how they get materials. Some get closeouts from Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Some are just donated used materials. I've found the prices to be good at the onces I visited, I'd guess 25% of retail on average. Things I've bought there: enough tile for a bathroom shower + floor, old corner wall-hung sink, enough wood 1/4 round to install 1000 sqft of laminite flooring, lighting fixtures, paint.

[Sparticle]

Originally Posted by wally

I will not support a group such as this,wally

Alright I'll bite, so what's wrong with Habitat for Humanity

[crashy]

We went to one in Oregon. There were no deals there we could buy new for what they wanted. Was bummed about that... craigslist was a better option for us.

[Ohio dreamer]

Ours was good (we moved). They were thrilled when we took in our old tub with surround and plumbing. We were able to get a replacement door for our bedroom there for $5. We did have to strip off some bright red enamel paint ( and 3-4 layers of white), but for $5 we were willing!

[texican]

I got a brand new sink (had caulk on the bottom, figure they tried to install it in and it 'clashed' with their granite...) a 650$ sink for 20 bucks! Deal.

I don't care what the mother group espouses, if they have a deal, I'll jump on it. Scrounging for luxury sinks is darn near impossible.

[starjj]

Never saw a good deal in either of the ones I went to

[Common Tator]

I have a tv on in the background as I type. I think it is about 25". I bought it from our local ReStore for $25.00. The TV's were donated by the local speedway when they upgraded.

[Jerngen]

I like to swing by the Restore up here on occassion. 75% junk, 80% overpriced, but occassionaly you find some great deals that make the regular visits worth it.
Ours is staffed by volunteers as well.

[praise4him]

what a great opportunity for families to actually own a home, that may not normally be able to get one. There was one mom with a daughter that we know very well. Her husband died a few years ago, she was working her butt of to stay off of welfare and living in a dumpy apartment. They applied and were approved for a habitat home. They are required to work so many hundreds of hours on others and their own homes as well. They get a no interest home loan with a very affordable payment. These are very simple decent housing and that is their motto. This ladies house is 900 sq. feet. But it is adorable, and she has made it "home" for her and her daughter. The loans that these people pay back go into funds to build homes for others in the same situation.
The habitat store here is great and when we built our home we bought many supplies there for very reasonable. Every one is run different and you can't lump them all together.
Obviously the person who made the Ghettos comment knows nothing about habitat for humanity.
Sorry, but this is a program dear to my heart and I have seen it make a huge difference in people's lives. Has anyone with such negative views ever bothered to go volunteer for a job site on a habitat home? I have many times over. One of the most gratifying things I have done.
Blessings,
Jennifer