How to Clear an Entire House by Donating to ReStore

Several years ago, Dennis knew he wanted to travel more, but he had a problem. He had a lifetime accumulation of furniture, tools, artwork, and memorabilia that he’d either have to sell or put in storage. Neither option appealed to him. Selling meant having to sort, price, and advertise items, and deal with unknown buyers or agents. Storage was expensive and would only postpone the day he'd have to dispose of everything anyway. That felt like a waste of money.

He talked with his family, but no one needed the furniture, tools, or supplies he had.  However, Dennis' daughter shared a great idea with her dad, suggesting he contact Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity ReStore home improvement outlets. Dennis did just that and learned how ReStore would be able to help him, as well as how his donation would help others in turn. There were three things that stood out to him:

1. Since Dennis had so much to give, ReStore told him they would send a truck and driver to pick everything up. Dennis appreciated the simplicity of ReStore coming to him to take what they wanted instead of hauling carloads of items to the donation doors.
   
   
2. He learned that the donation would likely give him a tax deduction. Dennis figured that between the savings on storage plus the tax deduction, he would be able to extend the RV trip he was planning to 18 months. He really liked that. “I might even get to try fly fishing in a few rivers. I never thought I’d get to DO THAT,” he said.
   
   
3. Most importantly, Dennis liked the idea that all the proceeds from the sale of his donated goods would go to help more families be able to buy Habitat homes. 

When Don, the ReStore donation truck driver at the time, showed up at Dennis’ house, he was overwhelmed by how much Dennis was donating - three truckloads! He was also surprised by the quality and variety of what was being donated. As Don and Dennis loaded the truck, Dennis shared some of the stories behind his possessions.

"I’d worked on airplanes in the Air Force, and when I got out, I got certified as an AP mechanic (airframe and power plant)." He opened the drawers of two rolling tool chests and showed off an impressive assortment of professional mechanics tools that looked almost new. 

A little later they loaded a professional grade Delta radial arm saw, drill press, planer, and table saw; the equipment looked almost new. "I got into woodworking when I decided to build a triple decker deck. I built the deck and built a few pieces of furniture," Dennis explained.

"I always bought tools that could work with wood, metal, or anything else." He pointed toward a kayak he had modified to be a high-tech fishing boat. "With the right tools, you can make anything."

Dennis shared many of the backstories for each item they loaded into the truck. At one point he said, "You know, I’ve been telling you all these stories and realized most of them won’t mean anything to anybody else but me. That’s okay though. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. I’ve got my memories and now it’s time for somebody else to get some value from all this stuff."

Dennis appreciated how easy the ReStore team made it for him to donate. He’s glad his tools and furniture will get a second life in other people’s homes, and he's happy to support Twin Cities Habitat's mission. "Everybody deserves a home," he said. "It’s nice to give a family a hand buying one."

If you are trying to clear your home of gently used furniture, appliances, tools, or building materials, consider donating it to the ReStore. And if you have an estate you need to process, donating it to the ReStore can save you a lot of headaches and stress. Contact our Donations team to learn more and see how ReStore can help!