The new home looked great on paper, but Lynda Sherman was more than a little nervous about the general contractor: a high school teacher and his crew of more than 50 teenagers.
“When I first heard about that, I thought I’d come in and the walls would be on a slant,” said Sherman. “But when we walked through, the home just felt really solid. When we go out and look at new houses now, we’re amazed at what we have here.”
As anyone looking to buy a new home will attest, the reputation of the builder can be just as important a consideration as the look, price and location of the home. And after more than 25 years in the business, Naperville School District 203 has built a strong reputation.
The homes are built by students from District 203 and District 204 as part of an advanced construction trades curriculum designed to give them hands-on experience in every facet of home building, from reading a blueprint to laying a roof.
The students, who come from Naperville high schools and Waubonsie Valley High in Aurora, are supervised by a teacher and learn from skilled subcontractors.
Every year, the district has been able to command more money for the homes, a reflection of the healthy real estate market in Naperville and the bounty of extras the students build into the home just for the experience.
“We’re not in the business to make as much money as we can,” said Ken Holland, the district’s building trades instructor. “Our goal is to give the students as much experience in the building trades as we can.”
This year’s home is the largest project yet. The home will have 4,700 square feet of living space–which includes 1,200 square feet in the finished basement–and a three-car garage.
Holland expects the home to sell for more than $350,000. Last year’s home sold for $327,000 months before it was finished.
Though such numbers might indicate the district is clearing a pretty penny on the properties–especially with all that free labor–Holland said he feels lucky if the project breaks even.
In general, all the profit goes back into the program to buy new lots and equipment for future projects. Last year, the program made a profit of $33,000. Two years before that, the district cleared a whopping $348.
Holland said there are a lot of costs that would never be incurred if a private contractor were building the home. His teaching salary is covered by the district and not charged to the program, but the project does include the $10,000 cost of transporting students back and forth on eight buses a day.
He said he pays a premium for subcontractors who are willing to spend the extra time coaching dozens of students on how to lay pipe or install circuit breakers.
He also hires a second general contractor while the roof is being installed, so the students get more attention while they are working 30 feet off the ground.
There are some jobs students do not get to work on. The foundation is poured before the class starts in September, and all the brick work is done by skilled masons, although the process is slowed by student observation.
Then there are all the extras that Holland includes so his students feel knowledgeable about every aspect of building and remodeling. Hardwood floors are installed throughout, and most homes include full landscaping and a brick patio.
For the past couple of years, all the new homes have included full finished basements with full bathrooms, an extra that normally would add $25,000 to the cost of a new home but one that Holland said is passed along at cost, or about $8,000. The furnaces are top-shelf and 94 percent energy-efficient.
Furthermore, for the first time this year, the students wired the entire house on Chelsea with cable for high-speed computer hookups.
Sherman said she was thrilled to find small conveniences that reflect the students’ attention to detail. She has ceiling fans in every room and phone jacks and TV hookups on every wall.
“The school district has been so good to us, in part because we were their only customer for a year,” said Sherman, a native of Aurora who moved to Naperville from North Carolina.
Holland said he knows buyers are nervous about the thought of relying on untrained teenage labor, which is why such testimonials are crucial.
“Buyers know we’re not going to build something and walk away,” he said.
