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Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology recently put this year's Charity House up for sale by deadline.

The Charity House project is a 10-year training and partnership programme, which was launched by Toi Ohomai, the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Rotorua Sunrise Charitable Trust and the Rotorua Lakes Council seven years ago.

This year, electrical and carpentry students from Toi Ohomai built a three-bedroom relocatable home at the Rotorua Thermal Holiday Park adjacent to the institute's Mokoia Campus. It includes a custom-built kitchen.

The build was supported by more than 20 Rotorua businesses including joiners, builders, electricians and scaffolders. The house will be sold by McDowell Real Estate, The Professionals Rotorua through a sale by deadline process.

Principal Steve Lovegrove says the deadline process is a slight variation on what used to be called a tender.

'It requires buyers to put their ‘best offer forward' by a certain date and time. The deadline is 4pm on Thursday, December 5. Once all offers are received, the vendor has up to five days to consider them and make a decision.

'Usually it doesn't take long, however, given the number of people involved it may take a little more time than usual to get the final sign off. This method offers all buyers the opportunity to do their own homework prior to the deadline date and be in a position to put an unconditional offer forward.

'The downside to that is that buyers can't see what competing buyers have put up and simply have to put their best offer in and hope that it's enough to secure the building.”

Steve says McDowell Real Estate, The Professionals Rotorua, has been involved since the project's inception in 2012.

'I think the Charity House has become a popular and well anticipated event in Rotorua. As a community we need more houses and subsequently more trades people to build them. The Charity House is a project that embraces both these community needs.

'The thing that is often missed with the Charity House is the outstanding quality of the finished product. Every step of the build has been supervised and completed to exemplary standards. This is not a build that, as some people wrongly assume, is a place for students to simply ‘practice'.

'It's a learning environment where high standards are taught and demonstrated to the students and that represents fantastic value for the buyer. With the Charity House, you can be assured that you get a product built with the latest standards and technology included.

'We've enjoyed being part of the process as it greatly benefits our community. Not only does it raise and allocate funds to local charities, but it also provides a valuable learning experience for the students and the opportunity for a member of the public to purchase a beautifully constructed home that gives a fabulous shortcut to the otherwise lengthy process of an onsite built.”

Toi Ohomai dean of the faculty of primary, trades and infrastructure Brian Dillon says the relationship with Steven and the team at McDowell Real Estate, The Professionals Rotorua, has been integral in the success of the Charity House project.

'We've been incredibly fortunate with the input from Steve and his team. They've provided advice on the housing market, guidance on promotional approaches, and have done this pro bono – a very generous gesture, and one which ultimately means more funds available for distribution to Rotorua charities.

'The Charity House project build itself is managed by our carpentry staff, but the promotion and sale of the house is outside our area of specialty so we appreciate the contribution Professionals make to the project in this regard.”

Brian says the project is on track to be completed soon.

'Hopefully, the house will be sold and relocated to its new site in early 2020. We've been lucky with the weather this year, and the staff and students have worked very hard to produce yet another quality home.”

He says he's proud of the success of the project, which would not be possible if it wasn't for the support of the organisations and businesses that partner and support Toi Ohomai.

'This is a community project in the true sense of the term. From design to completion of sale, we have more than two dozen charity partners contributing to the project, and Professionals have been a significant contributor to this.

'Each year a contribution from the proceeds of sale is distributed to local charities through Rotorua Sunrise Rotary, with $40,000 distributed from the 2018 project. Every contribution our partners make reduces the amount needed to cover costs, and therefore increasing the amount available to the community.

'This project delivers so many successes – it provides a real learning environment for students, an opportunity for local businesses to contribute to a charitable outcome while supporting ongoing learning, and local charities benefit from the distribution of funds from the sale.

'One aspect often overlooked is that the buyer of the house gets a fully completed, modern stylish three-bedroom home, that only needs re-locating and connection to services and it's ready to live in. Feedback from recent buyers suggests they couldn't be happier with their purchases, and knowing it has helped local charities makes that even better.”

The sale by deadline process closes next week with all offers to be submitted before December 5. A final open home will be held from 11am to 11.30 on Sunday December 1.