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Tremains Marketing EIT Student-Built Cottages

February 28, 2011

Constantly alert to opportunities that benefit the wider Hawke’s Bay community, EIT is selling student-built cottages at a reduced price.

This is the fourth year that EIT has been supported by Hastings-based building firm Cottages NZ in providing industry-relevant training for its pre-apprentice carpentry programme.

Cottages previously built by Certificate in Carpentry students have been auctioned or sold privately. Now,for the first time, they are being marketed by Tremains.

All the cottages are constructed in EIT’s state-of-the-art Trades and Technology Centre, opened by Prime Minister John Key last year. The complex was designed to allow for the construction of three cottages a year, and a cohort of 16 students is currently working on one that will be ready in May.

“These are quality-built structures,” says EIT Head of School, Trades and Technology, Todd Rogers. “Students are closely supervised by their tutors and, working together as a group, they develop a sense of team pride in their project.
“Each of the cohorts sees the construction process through from the start to completion of a cottage.”

Recognising the community good in EIT’s work-ready training, Tremains is supporting the scheme by marketing the cottages.
Four cottages will be offered for sale this year, and the first is about to go on display at the forefront of EIT’s campus in Gloucester Street, Taradale. The high profile site and ample parking are expected to make open days drawcard events.

Tremains consider the cottages a good buy. They are suitable, the company says, for holiday baches, visitor accommodation, granny flats, farm accommodation and first homes.

The first two almost identical cottages are open plan and both bedrooms have en suite bathrooms. Each has a floor area of 62.4 sq m plus a 24 sq m covered deck which provides entry to all the main rooms.

These two cottages will be sold ‘ready-to-go’. Forward orders will be accepted for the two still to be completed in May, and buyers who get in early on these will be given the opportunity to choose colours, hardware and floor coverings.

EIT’s project training is the brainchild of Mark Fisher, the institute’s programme coordinator for carpentry programmes.

“It came about after I met with Cottages NZ owner John Roil to talk about his son Mark taking up apprenticeship training through EIT. I could see a synergy with what Cottages NZ do and what EIT was aiming to achieve with its full-time pre-employment carpentry programme.

“Several months later, I rang John with a proposal to build a cottage on campus as a student project. John readily came on board, and it was agreed that Cottages NZ supply the plans and the first built result would be offered for auction as a charity fundraiser.”
Building started with the first intake of pre-trade students doing EIT’s full-time 33-week Certificate of Carpentry programme.

Mr Roil said his company was really pleased to partner EIT on a venture which supported the Hawke’s Bay construction industry.
“Training is a key part of our operation and the link with EIT is good for our business. It’s very satisfying to be part of a scheme where everyone benefits.”