Watauga County Habitat for Humanity Restore - Boone, North Carolina

Sandra M.

Well organized and most of the staff is friendly, but unfortunately, I've had two negative experiences with the manager, Gardner. After this second experience, I decided to write a review. I own a townhouse in Beech Mountain which I've been renovating for 3 years. It's slow going because I live 11 hours away and do the work myself. As a teacher on a tight budget, I rely on secondhand materials. On one trip, I had just driven overnight and was exhausted so before making the 45 minute additional drive to the Restore, I checked online to make certain it was open. Sure enough, the hours on the website indicated the store closed at 6(summer hours). I thought, "I can make it and have time to find doors". My family and I then drove 45 minutes to Boone. When I entered the store, it was a little before 5 and customers were standing in line. The manager stated loudly, "We're closed!" I responded, "Your website says you're open until 6!". He then replied, "You shouldn't believe everything you read on the internet" as if joking. I felt humiliated. I told him I had just driven from Florida, but he showed no sympathy. I left, swearing to myself that I would never go back. On a previous trip, I had found a note on the door stating the store was closed for almost a week so this was my first encounter with anyone at the store. It turns out, this Restore has a Facebook page as well as a website and the updates on the two don't always match. Anyway, about a week ago during Christmas break, I finally went back to the Restore for some doors. I bought a wooden screen door, a 6 panel pine door, two bifold doors, and 6 windows. While shopping, I overheard another customer ask about scrap lumber. The employee informed the customer anything over 10 feet was $4. I need wood for my doors and walls. As I stood there contemplating how to get the wood home, an older man walked by and asked if I needed help. I asked how much the wood was. He said, "Anything over 10 feet is $4". I specifically asked, "This one?" pointing out the longest ones. He confirmed, "Yep, it's $4". I asked if I could borrow a saw because I wouldn't be able to haul it back in my truck. He told me they didn't have a saw. I asked if I could bring my chop saw and plug it in. He told me I could. Two days later, I made another long drive back to the store for the wood. The same long, dinged pieces (X's on them) were still there. I laid them on top of my cart. A young employee walked by and I asked him the cost of the wood; he told me they went by the pole next to the wood and that anything over 10 feet was $4. I asked him about the wood on top of my cart, and he told me the two pieces would cost me $8. I left my cart and went to pay up front. I was also buying a $35 picture that my husband remarked was overpriced trash, but I really liked. The same guy who quoted me two days earlier was working the register and I told him I was buying two $4 pieces of wood and the picture. As he was ringing the sale, the manager told me the pieces on my cart in the back of the store were each $8. I replied, "An employee told me they were $4." He said, "Those are rough-cut cedar, which is in high demand lately." I said that I thought they were pine. He said "nope". I replied, "The tongue and groove on top of my cart?" ...how could he even see them? He said, "Yep, those are each $8." I walked back to my husband waiting by the cart who told me to have the manager come point out which ones were pine. The manager came back to the scrap lumber and pointed out all cedar (this one is cedar, this one, and this one) an abundance of cedar, not much long pine. So I put one back, I put back the overpriced picture. I bought one piece (pictured below) so the trip wouldn't be for nothing. While paying, I said, "You really should put up a sign. I was here the other day and asked the price. I made a 40 minute trip back here with my saw specifically for the wood". He responded, "I'm sorry. We are by no means perfect!" He then asked where I drove from. That was it.

Julian S.

READ if you are thinking of donating. The store itself has nice things, priced slightly high in comparison to Habitat stores in Lenoir and Hickory.
We had a truck full of usable building materials to donate such as spools of electrical wire, lighting fixtures, electrical switches, door knobs, metal duct fittings, etc. They were all rejected and we were even told that we should take everything to the dump. Yuck. We ended up taking everything to the Avery Habitat store, where they were all gladly accepted.
The atmosphere at this store is cold and unwelcoming, much different from what it used to be at the store on the way to Deep Gap. Think twice before donating.

Edit: after reading other reviews, I realized that we were dealing with the notoriously rude manager.

Kevin H.

This is a pretty decent restore. They have a good mix of materials and items, and the prices are generally reasonable. Sometimes the furniture is a bit pricey just do to the area. It's a great place for miscellaneous hardware and building materials. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable, courteous and professional.

Lisa S.

I have been going to restore for over ten years. At first they were priced like the other restores and about one year before moving to the new location the prices went up and are ridiculously expensive. There have been several occasions that it was cheaper to buy new at Lowes. They really need to offer good deals and do some price checking. This is suppose to help everyone! Lately they are always closed but I truly like this store it just needs to be managed differently and lower the pricing.

Hunter H.

As stated by many others, this Restore is one of the best organized. It has decent prices and if you think a piece of furniture is too much, they have weekly discounts on large items. The staff has always been friendly and accommodating. If I ask for a screwdriver to inspect a large item, they provide it and help me move it out for a better look.

Eleanor P.

This store is wonderful! I have purchased a lot of beautiful furniture for a condo at Sugartop and could not be happier with the quality and the service by the fantastic staff at this Restore! Gardner is amazing and so very helpful and friendly. We will continue to deal with this store as long as we are in this area. We cannot say enough good things about the staff, the store and the quality of the items they have in their inventory. We are very appreciative of the work Habitat for Humanity does for those in need and are happy to pay the prices they charge for the items we purchase as we know we are supporting a great charity that has changed thousands of lives!

Mike Z.

Extremely disappointed with Wautauga County branch of Habitat. I have several thousand dollars worth of furniture I planned to donate. I called last week and scheduled a pick up for 11 a.m. on 2/24/23. No one showed at 11 a.m. The driver calls at 11:30am and says early pick ups had more furniture than expected and they will have to unload but would be to my house at 1 pm. No one showed at 1 pm. I received a call at 2pm saying due to unforeseen circumstances they will now not be able to pick up furniture until March 2, 2023. I consider the communication delays very rude. They blew an opportunity to help a needy family with obvious poor organization and management. I am donating over $2k worth of furniture to another agency...they blew it BIG time!

PG

Prices have gone up...way up. Compares to Goodwill now. Wont guarantee items they cannot test (gas appliances).
My issue is this, EVERYTHING they sell is donated. They lose NOTHING by offering store credit on a 7 day return policy. They would sell more items if they went back to their old pricing structure. I have seen many items there for over 4 months, with a maximum 20% discount. If its been there 4 months, either its junk, or your price is too high.
I am frustrated with donation centers jacking up prices on stock they get for free. Many items in this store i can buy cheaper at WalMart. (Paint rollers are a good example....over $1 cheaper at walmart)
Go back to thrift store prices, offer store credit for returns, and treat customers how you want to be treated. Simple business model.
Good deals can be had here, but BUYER BEWARE!