Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country | Founded 05-05-05

July 24, 2008 issue


Hot Dog Cookout Marks ReStore’s Official Grand Opening

New Location Offers Increased Floor Space, More Products

Story by Corinne SaundersA large “open” banner waves next to the ReStore sign. ReStore, now located on the left a quarter-mile down Old Highway 421 from the intersection with Highway 421, celebrated its official reopening on Saturday, July 19. The thrift store benefits Watauga Habitat for Humanity and accepts donations of furniture, building materials and appliances. Photo by Corinne Saunders

“I think it’s a good location for us,” said Janice Koppenhaver, president of the Watauga Habitat for Humanity board, about ReStore’s new site on Old Highway 421.
“We’re very close to everything: 10 minutes to campus, 5 minutes from the New Market Center,” she added.

The new location provides twice the square footage for about the same rent that they paid for their previous location, Koppenhaver said.

ReStore had been located at 711 George Wilson Road since February 2005, and “it was a great location, but it wasn’t a big enough store,” she said, adding that a larger store space will allow ReStore to sell more items.

ReStore officially moved June 21 and was closed for about a week, reopening July 1.

A hot dog cookout Saturday, July 19, officially celebrated the reopening of the unique thrift store that benefits Watauga Habitat for Humanity.

“It’s an opportunity to say thank you to volunteers and customers, [to] let people know we’re here and open [and to] have a celebration,” she said.

About 100 volunteers, 30 or so at a time, helped transition ReStore’s merchandise to the new location. The ReStore staff did a lot of work on the building, including taking the carpet out and painting the building with paint donated from Sherwin Williams, Koppenhaver said.

ReStore sells furniture, building materials and appliances, but does not accept mattresses, clothes, carpets or rugs. Contractors, individuals and ASU students regularly donate items that are in good condition to ReStore.

“High-end vacation homes turn over regularly. We’re always thankful to contractors and do-it-yourselfers who pull out usable things for us to sell,” Koppenhaver added.

After covering administrative and operational costs, ReStore proceeds benefit Watauga Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that has built 20 houses for low-income families over the past 10 years.

The hopeful homeowners must go through an intensive screening process and if approved, must work 250 to 500 “sweat equity” hours on a Habitat home. The screening criteria include demonstrating overcrowded or substandard living conditions, unreasonable housing costs, physical need or inability to obtain a conventional loan.

Applicants must also demonstrate their ability to pay a zero-interest mortgage. Homeowners pay $350 to $400 a month for 20 to 25 years to cover their mortgage, tax and insurance, Koppenhaver said.

Habitat homes are typically 1,100 square feet, cost about $70,000 to build and appraise for $169,000, she added.

In September, Habitat will break ground for its next project, a two-bedroom house in town. “Someone donated a lot…we had to wait until we had a family that needed a two-bedroom house,” she said.

Habitat has purchased more than 21 acres near Green Valley School and is currently developing a plan for that land. “We’re hoping to get 18 lots out of it,” Koppenhaver said. “It’s such a gift to be so close to the school.”

The organization will be fundraising in the fall to pay off that debt, amounting to about $340,000, she added.

The local Habitat affiliate started in 1987, partnered with Avery County, and was Blue Ridge Habitat for Humanity until 1997, when it became Watauga Habitat for Humanity.

ReStore is a common initiative of Habitat, and the Watauga ReStore was one of the earlier ones, Koppenhaver said. Avery County has one in Newland and Ashe County is talking about starting one soon, she added.

A new executive director, Tony Caito, will begin working for Habitat in a week, she added.

For more info about ReStore, call 828-268-9696 or click to www.restoreboone.org.

For more information about Habitat or to read the housing application requirements, click to www.wataugahabitat.org.