Salvaged structural goods are coveted finds at local Habitat ReStores
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Home remodeling is brisk business in Western North Carolina. And that means cabinetry, trim, and other structural items are being ripped out of houses every day, to be replaced with trendy new fixtures.
But many of the discarded fittings from these renovation projects are far from the end of their useful life — in fact, some are as new as five years old. And there’s a strong demand for these attractive, lightly used pieces. Enter Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity’s deconstruction program, a fast-growing initiative that benefits a wide section of the community.
Working closely with local builders and remodelers, Habitat employees and volunteers collaborate in “soft extraction” — the careful removal of select interior installations. Those items are then transported, via the organization’s three full-time truck crews, to the company’s ReStores in Asheville and Weaverville, where they are quickly priced and put out for sale. Proceeds benefit the ongoing work of Habitat for Humanity in its mission to empower families in the region to improve their housing.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
“You’re looking at upward of $60k for a nice high-end kitchen remodel,” says Deconstruction Supervisor Colin Bristow. When the existing cabinetry is removed, “we’re reselling it to the general public at a fraction of that cost. Buyers can get high-quality, high-end products for a very reasonable price.”
He explains that full kitchen cabinet sets, bathroom vanities, and light fixtures are the program’s bread and butter. Heirloom pieces might include custom oak interior doors with transom windows. And sometimes truly one-of-a-kind accoutrements find their way to the sales floor. In a recent salvage, the decon crew took out a quirky home theater, complete with ticket booth, candy station, and marquee sign. “That was quite a fun one,” says Bristow.
Photo by Rachel Pressley
Bristow and Donation and Deconstruction Manager Michelle Smith work with a core group of more than a dozen volunteers — retired plumbers and electricians among them — to handle the fixture removal.“There are times that there are just two or three of us out there,” Bristow says. “Other times there might be ten or twelve of us on a job.”
No matter the project size, says Smith, “it’s imperative to us to get those items out in good, structurally sound condition … and that they’re presented as such at the ReStores.”
“In the last two or three years, we’ve put a big push on working with contractors and builders,” Bristow notes. “They’re the ones that can give us the sustained jobs.” Companies like Morgan-Keefe Builders, Buchanan Construction, and HomeSource Builders are among the companies partnering with Habitat on the initiative. “Any time they have a remodel,” Bristow says, “we’ve become their first call.”
And those long-term relationships yield tangible results. Bristow emphasizes that partner contractors save money on labor. “And a lot of times they don’t need dumpsters, so there are no landfill fees.” He cites data that in 2023 alone, the deconstruction program kept over 1,000 kitchen cabinets out of landfills. “We [removed and then sold] 80 to 90 bathroom vanities, about 250 light fixtures, and a couple of hundred doors.” Smith notes that the deconstruction program also turned over 83 appliances.
For partner contractors, add to all that the tax-writeoff benefits, as well as the good feeling that comes from helping the local branch of an international nonprofit. “They make the demolition process for kitchen and bath seamless, and we’re glad to donate pre-owned materials for such a great cause,” says Tim Alexander, HomeSource’s owner and CEO.
Meanwhile, the cabinets keep coming. “Last year, January to December 2023, the Decon Team completed 82 jobs, which raised $249,219 in merchandise sold in the ReStores,” lists Smith. (Compare that to 55 jobs and $174,552 in 2022 — a 49percent increase in jobs and a 43 percent increase in items deconstructed and sold.)
She characterizes the booming program as a full-circle initiative. “The builders, the donors, Habitat, and the ReStore customers all benefit.” And Bristow agrees: “It’s a win for all parties involved.”
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity ReStore, 33 Meadow Road, Asheville, and 61 Weaver Blvd., Weaverville. For more information about the Deconstruction Program, see ashevillehabitat.org.