The annual Otago Polytechnic charity house auction was held on Saturday, with a fully built home ready to be taken away by the highest bidder.
The auction is one of many events within the polytechnic’s annual student showcase.
Otago Polytechnic chief executive Megan Gibbons said the four-bedroom home was built by level 3 pre-trade carpentry students with the guidance of lecturers.
The annual auction was first held 15 years ago and had raised more than $1.5 million for the Catalytic Foundation, formerly United Way NZ.
The Catalytic Foundation distributed money to local small to medium-sized charities, which made it an ideal way to support the wider community effectively, she said.
While some of the money raised at auction went towards covering expenses, a large sum was always donated to the charity, she said.
The charity house sold for $365,000, which led to a donation of $115,000.
There were three other homes, yet to be completed, auctioned after the charity house.
Catalytic Foundation chairman John Gallaher said the idea of a charity house auction had been tried in other places, but it looked to be a ‘‘uniquely Dunedin’’ way of raising money.
The auction was won by Graham and Stella MacGregor.
Mrs MacGregor said being able to make the donation was a big part of why they went for the house.
Buying a pre-built house and moving it would be more environmentally friendly than building on-site
The home would be installed in Clyde, where it would have some ‘‘amazing views’’, she said.
