For Sale Sign Goes Up on Student-Built House
They have built it. Now, the buyer must come.
Students in the Residential Construction program at Fox Valley Tech recently put the finishing touches on their latest home build. The 1,613 square foot 3-bedroom, 2-bath new construction home is located in the Village of Harrison. It went on the real estate market in June.
Students in this technical diploma program have the opportunity to work on two houses during the course of the year. Work on this latest home began last June. Students spent the rest of summer and fall working on the exterior of the home. Not only did they learn carpentry skills, but they also had to learn them in the middle of a pandemic.
“Working on this house last summer during the pandemic, it was not the nicest thing to do,” said Paul Lewandowski, residential construction instructor. “But we made sure to follow all the rules. The students had to wear masks and try to socially distance as much as possible while you’re building a house. We were fortunate that we were one of the hands-on programs that just kept going.”
By January, students had moved to the inside of the home where they did the millwork, flooring, cabinets and trim before getting the house on the market in June.
The FVTC Foundation funds these home building projects by purchasing a lot, paying all construction expenses and listing the finished home for sale. Once the home is sold, the Foundation recovers its investment and uses any profits of the sale for more building projects and scholarships.
“Other than a bit of inconvenience, this was just like every other build,” Paul said. “We went through the same trials and tribulations as any other year. And we have another successful project completed by our students.”