every
donation
helps a family build a decent and affordable home.
Donate to the ReStore
Support the store that builds homes.
Every donation helps build strong and stable communities.
When you donate your excess household goods, building materials, and overstock to the ReStore, you’ll get the satisfaction of knowing your donations helped support local families — and didn’t end up in a local landfill. Plus, all of your donations are tax-deductible.
Why donate to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore?
Give items you no longer need a renewed life.
Your donation provides an affordable avenue for home improvement and DIY projects. Plus, it keeps good, usable items out of local landfills.
It’s convenient and tax-deductible!
Drop off items or, we can pick them up from your home or office. We make it easy to donate your gently-loved items.
Support Habitat for Humanity’s local mission.
Proceeds from the ReStore help fund the construction and repair of Habitat homes. Your donations help local families build brighter futures.
It all adds up.
Here’s what we accomplished in 2023 thanks to our loyal ReStore supporters:
items donated
tons of usable material were diverted from landfills
When it comes to donating, you’ve got options.
It’s never been easier to donate your excess household goods to the Habitat ReStore. We rely on great donations from people just like you to fill our store and support our mission.
Dropping off your donations is simple and convenient.
We can help unload your donation and provide you with a donation receipt once the items have been approved. Our drop-off hours are Tuesday-Friday, 10:30am-4:00pm, and Saturdays 9:30am-4:00pm.
Got a large donation? Give us a call at (704) 845-2760 or email general@habitatmatthews.org beforehand to ensure we are accepting and have space for your items!
Here's where to find us:
2447 East John St., Matthews, 28105
704.845.2760
Shopping Hours
Tues-Fri | 10am-5pm
Sat | 9am-5pm
Closed Sun & Mon
Donation Hours
Tues-Fri | 10:30am-4pm
Sat | 9:30am-4pm
Closed Sun & Mon
Ready to give new life to your old stuff?
Remodeling, cleaning, downsizing, or just getting organized? Got corporate overstock?
Whatever your project, don’t let the items you no longer need end up in our local landfills.
As a general rule, all items we accept must be:
Reusable
Must be made for use in residential or light commercial construction, improvement, maintenance, or furnishing and still have usable life left.
Structurally Sound + Complete
Must be complete, intact, sturdy, and free of major damage.
Functional
Must be able to do what it was made to do and needs to be ready to work “right off the shelf” without repair.
Cosmetically Appealing
Must be appealing for reuse in another person’s home and stain-free - something you’d give to friends or family.
Sellable
Our trained staff must determine that the item will sell in our store. We apologize if we cannot accept all items you wish to donate.
What items can I donate to the ReStore?
Check out our handy donation guidelines below, as well as pickup restrictions, refusal policies, and a list of items we can’t accept. Still unsure about your donation or want to make sure we can accept it before bringing it in? Give us a call at (704) 845-2760, or drop us a line at general@habitatmatthews.org. We’re happy to answer your questions!
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How do I get a house?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity does not give away homes. We provide a hand up, not a handout. You will be purchasing your home, and we work with you to make sure you have an affordable housing cost after purchasing the home. Each applicant must agree to partner with us in the program, which includes providing all documentation needed as well as attending homebuyer education classes and completing volunteer "HIP-hour" requirements.
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Are Habitat homes free?No, Habitat homeowners purchase their home, and pay an affordable mortgage.
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When will you accept applications again?At this time, we do not have a date set for our next application period.
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How much does a Greater Matthews Habitat mortgage cost?Your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) will be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income. This helps to ensure that you are able to continue making payments on your home while having enough remaining income to provide a healthy, stable life for you and your family.
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What is meant by "ability to pay"?Must be able to afford monthly mortgage payments Debt-to-income ratio has to be lower than 13% Stable income of at least $45,000 a year but less than 80% of the AMI based on family size.
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Do I need enough savings for a down payment?No. We consider the required 150 volunteer "HIP-hours" as down payment. However, you are required to cover closing costs.
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What do you mean by "family"?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity understands that there are many types of families, and all are welcome to apply to our program. You determine who your family is. Just a few examples of family are: an individual applying alone, a married couple with children, a single parent, a non-married couple, or a family that includes aunts, uncles, or parents. Unless there are circumstances outside of your control, you must have lived with all the household members shown on your application for at least 6 months.
-
How do I get a house?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity does not give away homes. We provide a hand up, not a handout. You will be purchasing your home, and we work with you to make sure you have an affordable housing cost after purchasing the home. Each applicant must agree to partner with us in the program, which includes providing all documentation needed as well as attending homebuyer education classes and completing volunteer "HIP-hour" requirements.
-
Are Habitat homes free?No, Habitat homeowners purchase their home, and pay an affordable mortgage.
-
When will you accept applications again?At this time, we do not have a date set for our next application period.
-
How much does a Greater Matthews Habitat mortgage cost?Your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) will be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income. This helps to ensure that you are able to continue making payments on your home while having enough remaining income to provide a healthy, stable life for you and your family.
-
What is meant by "ability to pay"?Must be able to afford monthly mortgage payments Debt-to-income ratio has to be lower than 13% Stable income of at least $45,000 a year but less than 80% of the AMI based on family size.
-
Do I need enough savings for a down payment?No. We consider the required 150 volunteer "HIP-hours" as down payment. However, you are required to cover closing costs.
-
What do you mean by "family"?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity understands that there are many types of families, and all are welcome to apply to our program. You determine who your family is. Just a few examples of family are: an individual applying alone, a married couple with children, a single parent, a non-married couple, or a family that includes aunts, uncles, or parents. Unless there are circumstances outside of your control, you must have lived with all the household members shown on your application for at least 6 months.
Unfortunately, we’re not able to take all items that supporters would like to donate. Our focus is on generating revenue to support building decent, affordable homes. If we are unable to accept your donation, we feel we'll be unable to sell it. Our volunteers and staff are trained and have experience in determining what we can and cannot sell, and though we hate to do it, may have to turn away your donation.
Although some exceptions may apply, we are not able to accept donations of the following items:
sleeper sofas/loveseats
baby items
computers, printers, copiers, or fax machines
clothing
mattresses or boxsprings
open cans of paint/stain
unframed mirrors/glass
bedding linens
metal or corded blinds
shower doors
tube/projection or plasma tvs
lightbulbs
batteries (of any kind)
single-pane windows
playground equipment
entertainment centers/armoires
encyclopedias or magazines
romance novels
cassette tapes
stuffed animals
items that do not work
items missing parts
Pickup Restrictions
Due to liability, we are only able to pickup items located in garages or outdoors. To ensure safety of our staff and volunteers, acceptance/refusal of any donation is at the final discretion of the driver.
Refusal Policy
We regret that we cannot accept all donations, and ReStore staff reserves the right to refuse items based on product condition or storage limitations. We recommend contacting (704) 845-2760 or general@habitatmatthews.org to make sure we can accept your item before dropping it off.
Please treat our staff with the same respect you expect to receive.
Shouting, swearing or being abusive will not be tolerated under any circumstances. We have a zero tolerance policy for these behaviors and we have the right to ask individuals to leave the premises and/or call the police.
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How do I get a house?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity does not give away homes. We provide a hand up, not a handout. You will be purchasing your home, and we work with you to make sure you have an affordable housing cost after purchasing the home. Each applicant must agree to partner with us in the program, which includes providing all documentation needed as well as attending homebuyer education classes and completing volunteer "HIP-hour" requirements.
-
Are Habitat homes free?No, Habitat homeowners purchase their home, and pay an affordable mortgage.
-
When will you accept applications again?At this time, we do not have a date set for our next application period.
-
How much does a Greater Matthews Habitat mortgage cost?Your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) will be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income. This helps to ensure that you are able to continue making payments on your home while having enough remaining income to provide a healthy, stable life for you and your family.
-
What is meant by "ability to pay"?Must be able to afford monthly mortgage payments Debt-to-income ratio has to be lower than 13% Stable income of at least $45,000 a year but less than 80% of the AMI based on family size.
-
Do I need enough savings for a down payment?No. We consider the required 150 volunteer "HIP-hours" as down payment. However, you are required to cover closing costs.
-
What do you mean by "family"?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity understands that there are many types of families, and all are welcome to apply to our program. You determine who your family is. Just a few examples of family are: an individual applying alone, a married couple with children, a single parent, a non-married couple, or a family that includes aunts, uncles, or parents. Unless there are circumstances outside of your control, you must have lived with all the household members shown on your application for at least 6 months.
-
How do I get a house?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity does not give away homes. We provide a hand up, not a handout. You will be purchasing your home, and we work with you to make sure you have an affordable housing cost after purchasing the home. Each applicant must agree to partner with us in the program, which includes providing all documentation needed as well as attending homebuyer education classes and completing volunteer "HIP-hour" requirements.
-
Are Habitat homes free?No, Habitat homeowners purchase their home, and pay an affordable mortgage.
-
When will you accept applications again?At this time, we do not have a date set for our next application period.
-
How much does a Greater Matthews Habitat mortgage cost?Your mortgage payment (including principal, interest, taxes, and insurance) will be no more than 30% of your gross monthly income. This helps to ensure that you are able to continue making payments on your home while having enough remaining income to provide a healthy, stable life for you and your family.
-
What is meant by "ability to pay"?Must be able to afford monthly mortgage payments Debt-to-income ratio has to be lower than 13% Stable income of at least $45,000 a year but less than 80% of the AMI based on family size.
-
Do I need enough savings for a down payment?No. We consider the required 150 volunteer "HIP-hours" as down payment. However, you are required to cover closing costs.
-
What do you mean by "family"?Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity understands that there are many types of families, and all are welcome to apply to our program. You determine who your family is. Just a few examples of family are: an individual applying alone, a married couple with children, a single parent, a non-married couple, or a family that includes aunts, uncles, or parents. Unless there are circumstances outside of your control, you must have lived with all the household members shown on your application for at least 6 months.
Here are answers to the questions we hear most.
Send a message to our ReStore team.
Need more help?
The gift of your old car, truck, or van supports local families in need of an affordable, safe place to live.
Convenient for you. Good for our community.
Join the many donors who have donated a vehicle through our Cars for Homes program in Matthews, Mint Hill, and Stallings. We’ll make it easy, and towing is free!