Donation Guidelines

All donation pick-ups and drop-offs are subject to ReStore staff approval. Below are guidelines for items we typically accept.

For more info on donations or to schedule a donation pickup at your home or business, please email donations@habitatcd.org.

  • Must be in good working order and less than ten years old. We accept:

    • Refrigerators and freezers

    • Stoves (electric and gas)

    • Microwave ovens

    • Washers and dryers (electric or gas)

    • Small kitchen appliances

    • NEW dishwashers and water heaters ONLY

    We cannot accept:

    • Used water heaters, dishwashers or faucets

    • Cooktops

  • Must be double or triple pane windows only. With the exception of some very large windows, all donated windows should include sashes installed in the frames

    We cannot accpet:

    • Window shades with cords

  • Kitchen and bathroom cabinets in sets or individual pieces. All cabinets must be complete and contain all doors and drawers attached, and knobs/handles.

    We cannot accept:

    • Wall oven cabinets

    • Lamps, shades, chandeliers, and ceiling fans (new in box)

    • Indoor and outdoor lighting

    We cannot accept fluorescent, canned, or track lighting

  • We accept:

    • Exterior and interior doors (including French doors)

    • Exterior sliding and patio doors (assembled and complete with all jambs, tracks, and hardware. Individual sliding and patio door slabs cannot be accepted)

    • Pre-hung or slabs

    • Storm doors (must have all tracking)

    We cannot accept:

    • doors over 84 inches tall

    • shower doors

  • We accept:

    • Baskets

    • Glassware, glasses, pitchers, vases

    • Pots, pans, bakeware

    • Dishes, silverware utensils

    • Tupperware

    • Canisters, cookie jars, tea pots

    • Small appliances - toasters, coffee pots, air fryers, mixers

    • Home décor

    We cannot accept:

    • Books

    • Baby items

    • Cloth/soft goods - bedding, clothing, shoes, household linens (sheets, towels, drapes, curtains, pillows, etc.) or other personal items

    • Toys, games, or game systems unless vintage

    • Sporting goods

    • partial rolls of wallpaper

    • DVDs, CDs, tapes

    • New faucets (lead free and in original packaging with all hardware)

    • Fiberglass bathtubs and shower units

    • Pedestal and drop-in bathroom sinks

    • Stainless steel and porcelain kitchen sinks

    • Straight countertops (no custom cuts or designs - no laminate items)

    • Miscellaneous pluming hardware

    We cannot accept:

    • used toilets (we can only accept new in box)

    • Double sinks

  • We accept:

    • Chairs

    • Loveseats

    • Ottomans

    • Recliners

    • Sofas (no sofa beds)

    • Clothes Armoires

    • Bedroom furniture

    • Book shelves

    • Chairs

    • Coffee tables

    • Dining room furniture

    • Hutches with dining room set

    • Student desks

    • Futon frames

    We cannot accept:

    • Floral sofas/couches

    • Box springs or mattresses (NYS law)

    • Sofa beds

    • Entertainment centers, media centers, TV cabinets, computer armoires

    • Most particle board furniture

    • Large and/or commercial office furniture

    • Baby furniture

    • Pianos

    • Exercise equipment

    • Area rugs - larger than 3x5 (no bathmats)

    • Carpet runners & large remnants (10x10)

    • Hardwood flooring (must be at least 50 square feet)

    • Vinyl, ceramic, or carpet tile (must be at least 50 square feet)

    We cannot accept:

    • Carpet padding

    • carpet remnants

    • Complete sets of door hardware, hinges, etc.

    • Any quantity of nails, screws, fasteners, hangers, connectors, etc. (boxed only)

    • Lumber (no scraps)

    • Sheet goods (no scraps)

    • Trim and molding (no scraps)

    • New painting supplies

    • Insulation (full rolls only, unopened in original packaging)

    • Hand tools

    • Power tools with battery charger

    We cannot accept:

    • Ladders

    • Residential electric items only

    We cannot accept:

    • electronics - contact your local municipality

    • Columns

    • Mantels

    • Stained and leaded glass windows

    • Shovels, rakes, etc.

    • Hand tools

    • Pots, sprinklers, hoses, etc.

    • Lawn mowers

    • Snow blowers

    • Outdoor & patio furniture

    We cannot accept:

    • Fuel cans, propane cylinders, garden sprays

    • Framed are

    • Picture frames

    • Wall hangings

    • Framed mirrors

    • Shutters

    • Wallpaper (packaged - no remnants or partial rolls)

    • Wood stoves (free standing)

    • Luggage

    • Bicycles

    • Gasoline power equipment (less than 10 years old - please drain gas)

Additional donation guidelines

While the ReStore does its best to pre-screen all donations through the scheduling process, there are times when upon donation we may be unable to accept certain items. We understand that this can be an inconvenience on the rare occasions that this occurs. We appreciate your interest in donating, but when we accept items that we cannot resell, it ends up costing us money.

A list of common items that we are unable to accept is below, but please note that all decisions are made at the discretion of our experienced staff members.

  • Ripped, stained, soiled or worn upholstered furniture or furniture from a home with pets and/or smokers- upholstered furniture is the most commonly donated item we receive and this requires us to be very selective in what we accept.

  • Bedding of any kind, including sleeper sofas and futon mattresses. We are not licensed with NYS to accept these items for resale.

  • Most particle board, prefab, cardboard-backed, and build-at-home furniture. These items do not hold up well for our purposes due to the number of times we need to move an item from pickup to resale to delivery.

  • Broken furniture. We do not have the capacity to repair broken items.

  • Entertainment centers. Due to changes in technology, there is a excess of available entertainment centers without a corresponding demand for them on the resale market.

  • Anything that we know we will have to immediately throw away. Due to the high cost of disposal, these items end up costing us money instead of supporting our cause.

We ask that you please understand these guidelines and to please refrain from pressuring our hardworking and respectful drivers from accepting items they are not allowed to take. These guidelines are created and handed down to them by the management staff, and they are not allowed to make exceptions. If you ever feel that an item has been wrongfully turned down, or if you have any further questions about these guidelines, please feel free to contact our ReStore Director at 275-6638 ext. 103. Thank you for your donations, as well as your patience and understanding regarding these matters.

DONATION SUGGESTION

If we don’t accept your item for donation, try selling items through an online platform, like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, and donate your sales to Habitat.

The money raised by Habitat ReStores helps local families build a decent and affordable place to call home. When the items you donate to ReStore are sold, the money helps families achieve the strength, stability and independence they need to build a better future.

The Habitat ReStore accepts items that have a track record of resale in our store. This means that we are not able to accept all items, even those that appear to be in good condition. Our priority is raising funds to support Habitat’s home construction and neighborhood revitalization work in the Capital District. We are grateful for every donor, customer and volunteer that fuels the ReStore’s success.