Upgrading on a budget

Is that front door on your house looking a little shabby? Maybe you want a larger window, or maybe just some paint or a different light fixture. Normally, completing such projects would require a drive to the local hardware store or building center. But for those on a budget, all these items and more can be acquired for pennies on the dollar of what a new item would cost at the Habitat for Humanity discount building supply center in Hayden. You’d also be helping build homes for those who are even less fortunate.

“Most of our inventory is picked up from homeowners who are remodeling or contractors,” said Mary Ann Bethke, North Idaho Habitat for Humanity president. “This (center) keeps an enormous amount of building materials out of local landfills. It also allows homeowners on a budget to purchase building supplies that they otherwise could not afford.”

Habitat for Humanity has two pick-up crews that retrieve items, said Kim Buffin, discount building supply center store manager. “We receive calls from people with any home items: doors, appliances, fixtures, cabinets, windows, etc. Our current best-selling item is doors, then appliances and third is hardware. We have thousands of little items from drawer pulls to electrical pieces. Many of our items come from contractors who can write off the donations, and auction houses which drop off items that did not sell.”

The discount store generates more money in a month for Habitat for Humanity than what a normal fund-raiser would generate in a year’s time, Buffin said.

“That money, minus overhead, goes into the general building fund.” Bethke said the building supply center has contributed more than $71,000 to the building fund since the start of the fiscal year last July. That money is being used to build homes in the Millard’s Place subdivision in Post Falls. North Idaho Habitat for Humanity bought several acres in western Post Falls recently and building several homes for selected applicants on the newly built street Linda Way. Millard’s Place and Linda Way were named after Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and his wife, Linda.

“We have been expanding throughout the building here,” said Buffin. “We are now close to utilizing the whole indoor property here, all 16,000 square feet. There are over 300 Habitat for Humanity building supply centers in the nation, but this is the only one in Idaho at this time.”

“Our goal is to keep home improvement affordable,” Buffin said. “We want our customers to make return visits. We have several volunteers here at the building center, but we can always use more, to reduce the hours of the current volunteers.”

A Ziggy’s building supply is next door. “We see them (Discount Supply Center) as being very complementary to our Ziggy’s store operation,” said Reid Ziegler, Ziggy’s public relations officer. “Habitat has provided good service to our community, and Ziggy’s has contributed to Habitat for years. We partnered with them to build a home in Spokane about 15 years ago and continue to support them.

“We have a good business relationship with the discount store,” said Ziegler. “There are certain items they have that we can alert our customers to, and in turn many of their customers will come next door and purchase items from us they can’t find at the discount center. It’s been a win-win situation having them so close to us.”

If you have an item that you think would benefit some other homeowner, and possibly get you a tax write-off, contact the discount building center at 762-4352 to arrange a pick-up time. North Idaho Habitat for Humanity’s Web site is www.habitatni.org.