A four-bedroom house in Strathnairn in north-west Canberra, built through donated labour and materials, will be auctioned off on March 25, with proceeds going to four Canberra charities.
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The Strathnairn Charity House, on the corner of Rachel Mackison Street and Asimus Avenue, was launched on Thursday.
The home was designed and predominantly built by women under the guidance of Kane Constructions, with almost $1 million of materials and labour donated by Master Builders ACT members.
Proceeds from the sale will be donated equally to Hands Across Canberra, Pegasus Riding for the Disabled, Karinya House and Canberra City Care Charnwood.
"This home has been built with love and with hope and we have all left a part of ourselves within. And I hope whoever is lucky enough to live here will feel it," Kane Constructions general manager Jo Farrell said.
"After 27 years in construction, it has been the most challenging but the most joyous project I've ever had the honour to work on."
The Ginninderry Joint Venture and Master Builders ACT collaborated on the design and construction of the charity house, which has an energy efficiency rating of 7.3, four bedrooms, three bathrooms and space for generations of family to live.
Hands Across Canberra CEO Peter Gordon said it would use its quarter of the proceeds to help multiple charities, vital as a guaranteed income stream at a time of high demand and uncertain fundraising capacity.
And he expected the house to generate hundreds of thousands in charity dollars, such was its quality.
"The house is spectacular," Mr Gordon said.
The March 25 auction will feature a team of leading female real estate agents from across the industry, including Sandra Masters from LJ Hooker, Cris O'Brien from home by holly, Lisa Silberberg from Ray White and Natalie Kokic Schmidt from MARQ.
It will be the culmination of a lot of hard work and generosity of spirit.
Ms Farrell said the house had been in the pipeline since September 2020, in the midst of COVID.
The project had survived lockdowns, then prolonged periods of rain and soaring labour and material costs.
"As all of this unfolded, I was responsible for asking the industry to do more," Ms Farrell said.
And the industry responded. Without question.
"They didn't just show up, they've been with me every step of the way," she said.
Megan Doherty
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
I like telling local stories and celebrating Canberra. Email: megan.doherty@canberratimes.com.au
