When it comes time to renovate a house, a homeowner often replaces old items with new. But those old items can find new life, and help others at the same time.

A Benicia couple, Byron and Deborah Berhel, learned how to make this kind of difference from a cabinet specialist at Lowe’s Vallejo store, where they went shopping for new fixtures for their home.

The Berhels were remodeling their kitchen, and knew they would be pulling old fixtures out of their home and replacing them with new.

Rather than paying to have their cabinets, faucet and lighting fixtures disposed of by a contractor, they chose to call the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, said Kathy Hoffman, Solano-Napa Habitat for Humanity ReStore volunteer.

“ReStore’s volunteers carefully remove the cabinets, appliances and fixtures and take them to ReStore to sell,” Hoffman said.

“The cabinets and other items have to be gently used and have life left in them,” said Doug Burke, deconstruction program manager. “ReStore then sells the cabinets, appliances and fixtures to someone who needs good used products.”

Debora Berhel said she hadn’t heard of the ReStore, in Fairfield, until the Lowe’s employee told her about it.

“It seemed like a perfect solution,” she said. “We save money, ReStore makes money selling the cabinets, and they stay out of the landfill.”

After watching ReStore volunteers at work at their home, Byron Berhel said, “I was impressed with the job the volunteers did. Their goal was to remove everything with as little damage to the floors and walls as possible. We would recommend them to anyone doing remodeling.”

ReStore sells new and gently used home improvement items to the public. Prices are 50 to 90 percent lower than retail prices, Hoffman said.

Proceeds from the sales support Habitat for Humanity, which builds affordable homes for low-income families in Napa and Solano counties. Those who qualify also must participate in home construction in a policy the organization calls “sweat equity.”

“ReStore is a win-win-win,” ReStore Manager Mike Glancy said. “Donors receive a tax write-off, material stays out of the landfill, and Habitat is able to build more homes.”

Among the donations ReStore accepts are appliances, furniture, cabinets, doors, sinks, tubs, toilets and hardware.

Those interested may call the Deconstruction Program at 707-422-1948. To donate to ReStore call the donation hotline at 707-863-0692.

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is at 104 Commerce Court, Fairfield near the Interstate 80/I-680 interchange. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.