New home improvement store opens in Hilliard, aims to help with affordable housing crisis

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Inside what Brandi AL-Issa has heard people refer to as “the best kept secret in Central Ohio,” shoppers can find home appliances, tools and furniture for half the typical retail price or less.

The secret is ReStore, a nonprofit home improvement store run by Habitat for Humanity MidOhio, and a new location opens today on the city’s Far West Side near Hilliard.

AL-Issa, president and CEO of the nonprofit home-builder, is hoping that soon, the store won’t be a secret.

“I want people to know,” said AL-Issa, of the four ReStore locations in Central Ohio. “For the ReStore to be top of mind for a family to think about.”

The new store, at 5419 Roberts Road, was once home to a Big Lots and measures 29,000-square-feet.

ReStore encourages reuse, accepts donations

People can not only shop at ReStores, but they also can donate items and the store will collect items left outside homes for donation, too.

“We want families of all income levels to know about the ReStore as an option,” AL-Issa said, mentioning how the store reduces waste and encourages reuse of items and sustainability.

Habitat for Humanity MidOhio is opening its fourth ReStore location on Roberts Road in Hilliard. The nonprofit home improvement store has discounted prices on furniture, appliances, building materials, home goods and more.

Items in the store are donated from businesses, general contractors, organizations and neighbors. They range from new and in the box to reusable materials and are priced accordingly.

Typically, a brand new appliance would be listed for half it’s typical price in the ReStore, AL-Issa said, and prices go down from there. She called pricing items an art and a science, as it depends on a number of factors, including an item’s condition and age.

“Every time you go in is a little bit of a treasure hunt because you don’t know what’s going to be there,” AL-Issa said.

The store gets all types of items like floor samples, scratched or dented appliances and furniture, door handles, vanities, water heaters, lumber, cabinets and more.

Shopping at the store can be an affordable way for people to get furniture and other home items, she said, and prevents things from going to the landfill when it can still be useful.

How does ReStore contribute to affordable housing availability?

Patronizing or donating to ReStore also helps further the availability of affordable housing in Central Ohio, AL-Issa said, as dollars from the ReStore support Habitat for Humanity. Social enterprises like ReStore are especially important now, as federal funding is not guaranteed for non-profits, she said.

Local ReStores generate about $4 million in revenue for Habitat for Humanity MidOhio, AL-Issa said. The nonprofit’s annual budget is about $14 million.

Habitat for Humanity MidOhio, which covers Franklin, Licking and Madison counties, built 15 new homes from July 2024 to June and did 112 home repairs in that time, AL-Issa said.

“We want to be a leader in helping solve the affordable housing crisis … by building and selling more affordable homes and making more home repairs,” AL-Issa said. “Habitat provides literally a door for anyone to walk through and to be part of helping solve that.”

The nonprofit’s mission is to put God’s love into action by connecting people to opportunities and hope by building affordable homes and building communities, AL-Issa said.

“Donating things you don’t need anymore and shopping is supporting a pretty fantastic mission and a really important issue,” AL-Issa said.

If you go to a local ReStore or Hilliard’s grand opening:

The grand-opening event at the Hilliard store begins at 9 a.m. on Sept. 5 and will feature sales, giveaways and limited-time offers. Store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Purchases also can be made online.

It’s the fourth ReStore owned by Habitat for Humanity MidOhio, with others at 3140 Westerville Road, 2555 Bethel Road and one in Newark.

But, the Bethel Road location may soon close, as it’s too small for a ReStore, and AL-Issa said Habitat for Humanity is trying to sell the building.

To donate to the ReStore, a list of accepted items is available at www.habitatmidohio.org.

Underserved Communities Reporter Danae King can be reached at dking@dispatch.com or on X at @DanaeKing.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Habitat for Humanity ReStore with lower prices opens in Hilliard