BUFFALO, N.Y. — Students at the Harkness Career Center in Cheektowaga are ready to show off all the hard work they did this year on a class project that puts many others to shame. The seniors in the building trades program started building the house on the first day of school this year, and now they're ready to put it up for auction.
Elijah Janish of Williamsville South is one of the three dozen students that worked on the 1,248 square-foot, two bedroom house.
"Personally I think it turned out amazing," he said. "I mean, we did have some struggles with it in the beginning, but you know, we worked our way through."
"I think my favorite part was probably roofing," said T.J. Venti, also a senior at Williamsville South. "That was really fun, just being on top up there and just having fun with my classmates."
Venti is heading to Canisius College next year to study sport management, but he knows these are skills he can use for life.
"It was great, you know it really taught me like how to really own my own house. If I want to just do something independently I can I don’t really have to rely on anyone," Venti said.
"The roof folds down for transportation," said Instructor Chris Burgio. "If you’re lucky enough to purchase the home, you take care of the transportation costs and put it on your foundation.”
The money the sale will go back into the program to pay for the materials for next year’s house.
"It went up 20% in one year," Burgio said of rising costs. "We have almost $60,000 in the materials and we’d just like to get that back."
"We’ve got a lot of progress done," Venti said. "I’m really happy for our class and hopefully we get a good bid.”
"It is hard work," Janish said. "But it all pays off in the end."
There will be an open house at the school on Aero Drive from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m. on Monday, June 6. Cash Auction is running the auction, which closes June 12. More information is available here.