Makoura student home a steal

A home worth up to $150,000 that pupils helped to build is for sale at a bargain price at Makoura College.

Senior technology teacher Bill Taylor said tenders will be invited this week for the three-bedroom 90sq m open plan home - 100sq m with the decking - that will be sold as a lockable shell.

The home features an open plan kitchen, dining room and lounge area, three bedrooms, and a matching number of sliding doors opening onto a verandah. All windows are double glazed.

The exterior is completed besides spouting, he said, and the interior needs finishing including wall cladding, doors, plumbing and wiring and the buyer would need to shift the building.

Mr Taylor is hoping to get about $57,000 for the fully-compliant home, which will yield a $5000 profit for the school.

He estimated the building to be worth about $150,000 and the lucky buyer would make a saving of about $50,000 once the shifting and finishing work is complete, he said.

"It wouldn't take a lot for anyone with handyman skills to finish and somebody's going to get a real bargain."

The Level 3 apprenticeship-grade building project involved eight Makoura College pupils and a small crew of UCOL apprentices.

The construction comes ahead of the launch of a Trades Academy at the school in partnership with the tertiary organisation.

A UCOL-partnered small motors course will start next year in the Makoura technology block, which will serve as the academy base and allow full use of a hoist, lathes and welding plant already onsite.

"It went really well having some of those older UCOL guys with our boys during the build and the house would be perfect as a bach at the beach - just get a log fire going and she'd be beauty."

Pupils helped build a two-bedroom cottage at the school last year that was sold and shifted to Manaia Rd.

Mr Taylor said the three-bedroom project was not as complex, but one of the Year 12 and 13 students had already found work as a building apprentice and the others had all started in work involving apprenticeships as well.

Tender documents are available at the Makoura College front office, or phone 378 6074.