Charity House auction date set for next month

An artist impression of this year's Charity House.

Buyers looking for a modern home and a way to give back to their community can rejoice - the auction date for this year's Charity House project at Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology has been unveiled.

It will be on December 4 at 2pm at the institute's Mokoia campus.

The Charity House project is now in its fourth year and is built by the institute's local carpentry, electrical and interior design students.

Along with providing a hands-on learning experience for students, all profits from the house's sale go back into local community initiatives around Rotorua, via Rotary Rotorua Sunrise.

"2016 has been another extremely successful year for the Charity House team," Toi Ohomai programme area lead for carpentry and electrical AJ Smith said.

"The students have again exceeded their own expectations and done a fantastic job with this three-bedroom, two-bathroom home.

"This year's 137sq m transportable home has been tweaked to give a heightened sense of space and insulation. As a result, it will no doubt be well received by the market as a healthy and warm home to live in."

One of the first buildings in Rotorua to feature 'SmartFit' windows, additional features of the 2016 build include double glazing and full insulation to twice the existing building code requirements.

More than $30,000 in proceeds from the 2015 Charity House were handed out to 13 local community charities earlier this year, including Lakes Medical Services Trust, Rotorua SPCA and the Ngongotaha Community Patrol.

"We are expecting an increased level of interest in the Charity House this year due to the heat in the property market and demand for new homes," Toi Ohomai marketing manager Sue Gunn said.

Mrs Gunn said some of the students had been offered apprenticeships prior to their graduation as a result of the experience.

"This is a fantastic result. This year's Charity House is our fourth and the market knows that our students and tutors are building high-quality transportable houses that come with a lot of extras supplied by our generous partners. I have no doubt this year's auction will reflect that growing reputation."