Student-built home ready to sell, showcased at open house

LACONIA — The Huot Career and Technical Center at Laconia High School hosted an open house on Thursday to celebrate the completion of a small, one-bedroom home built by students. The project is the result of a partnership between the center and the Lakes Region Homebuilders and Remodelers Association. 

"It feels amazing to look at it and think that at just the beginning of this school year, it was nothing but a wood pile," said graduate Kurtis Jobin, who attended the open house to look at his handiwork. 

For the past year, students like Jobin built the home from the ground up, and were responsible for nearly every aspect of the construction, including plumbing, some electrical work, and even the baseboard heating system. 

"I really learned how to work through and push through challenges," Jobin said. "I also learned about safety stuff and what you need to form a career in this field." 

Now that the home is complete, it is expected to sell for around $80,000. As part of the open house, members of the association staged the home with furniture and decor to lend a more homey, log cabin-style feel. 

"The staging people did a great job," said Huot student Luke Jackson. "It's a big difference having it staged and being able to see what somebody could possibly do with it.

"It's really cool to finally see it done."