About San Diego Habitat for Humanity ReStore
San Diego Habitat for Humanity ReStore is a unique shop offering a wide variety of donated household items at affordable prices. Shoppers can find everything from large items like windows, sinks, cabinets, and light fixtures to smaller items like knobs and fasteners. The store is a popular destination for DIY enthusiasts and bargain hunters, as the selection is constantly changing and depends on what is donated. The store accepts donations of gently used household items in good condition. This allows individuals to responsibly dispose of unwanted items while supporting a worthy cause. The ReStore plays a vital role in Habitat for Humanity's mission by providing funding for affordable housing projects. While the store is known for its great deals, some customers have encountered issues with the donation pickup service. Some report that donated items may not reach the ReStore, highlighting the need for better oversight and transparency in this process. For those looking to donate, delivering items directly to the store is recommended to ensure their contribution reaches the intended recipient.
We finally checked out the ReStore in Kearny Mesa. This is one of the larger ReStores we've shopped over the last two decades. It's laid out nicely with wide aisles and outdoor displays. There's an extensive amount of furniture, appliances, and electric fixtures. We picked up a nice white leather desk chair for $25. The property is gated with a small parking lot inside the gate. Street parking is also available. Staff is friendly and helpful.
I got so many items at this store. In 2021, I had to furnish an AirBnB house in Temecula Wine Country, and I bought an ornate bathroom light fixture at this store, that perfectly matched the travertine tile embellishments around the bathroom sink below. Wish I had a picture to post, but I am not at that house. I think the light fixture was $25 here.I bought a blue chair here last year, that matches the furniture at the Temecula Wine Country house. It had a white mark like white chalk mark right in the most conspicuous place, in the center of the seat. The white turned out to be missing blue fuzz. Lo and behold a van came up when I was parking my car, that said "Furniture Repair" . I got the clerk to discount the chair to $15 because the white mark quite pokes you in the eye! I found the repair person when I took this blue chair outside to my car. I showed him the white mark on the chair and he told me how to fix it, which is to brush the fuzz over the white mark and use a needle dipped in super glue, and keep poking the fuzz into the white grid. I did just what he told me, and it worked. Then, a couple of months ago, I purchased a foldable white metal shelving unit on wheels for $50. I later saw this exact shelf at a store new for $149. I think it is Japanese in origin or manuf in Japan. And mine from Restore was as new in appearance as the $149 one.I come to this Clairemont Mesa area often, cos I go to Kaiser Garfield. I like to eat on Convoy St and at Golden City at 163 and Clairmont Mesa Drive, great REAL Chinese lunch specials serving truly authentic food that non-Chinese would never dare order. I must stop by and see what is inside Habitat Restore every time or I feel I might be missing out on a great find like I describe above.
What a fascinating concept! When we replaced our light fixtures, we were looking for a place to donate our old ones still in good condition. We weren't sure a place like that existed until finding this place. They take donations of household items but they must be in very good condition! The store itself is perfect for a DIYer or someone willing to put in the work on a home project. They have everything from windows to sinks to cabinets to light fixtures. They've also got small items like knobs and fasteners. Selection is dependent on what gets donated so it's definitely hit or miss but worth the look for a bargain hunter.