Garrett Neese/Daily Mining Gazette A tiny house built by Career and Technical Education students from the Copper Country Intermediate School District is on display at the CTE building Tuesday. Bids are being accepted on the house until July 31.

HANCOCK — Starting Tuesday, tiny house enthusiasts have a chance to buy one crafted by Career and Technical Education students at the Copper Country Intermediate School District.

Students kicked off the bidding period with a display of the house at the CTE building Tuesday morning. The home is built on a 8-by-20 trailer. 

The end result is “gorgeous,” said Superintendent George Stockero. 

“We’ve had a lot of people walk by, heads turn, and I’ve had people asking to come in and look at it,” he said. “Starting now, anybody can come in and take a tour and this can be theirs.”

With the area’s long winters, the tiny house project allows them to work on a project year-round, said building trades instructor Michael Randell. 

“The students get a full aspect of what goes into house construction,” he said. While the district bought the frame, the students built everything and designed the inside, from the cabinets to the pull-out bed. 

Assembly took two years. Gavin Simonson, an incoming 12th grader at Hancock Central High School, worked on it for two hours a day between September and March. Aside from some finishing touches like the countertops and alliances, it was all student-built. 

“The paneling was difficult,” he said. “It took the longest.”

Simonson’s class was one of two working on the project during the school year. They each had different responsibilities, with the other class taking electrical work, he said. 

Sitting inside the house, Simonson reflected on his and the class’ accomplishments. 

“I love it,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s rewarding.”

The home includes cedar bevel siding and paneling, a three-piece bathroom with shower, water and sewer hookup, an electrical range, 50-amp electric service, and a carpeted loft and queen bed, among other features.

Learning to build something yourself holds lifelong value, said Bob Tuomi, a paraprofessional with the CTE program. 

“No matter what profession they go into, you can always use that knowledge for yourself and if you own a hour, do your own maintenance, repairs or construction,” he said. “It’s tremendous lifetime value.”

The tiny house employs the same principles they would use for a bigger house, Tuomi said, just on a smaller scale. 

Randell is proud of what students accomplished, from design work to collaborating with students from other local schools. 

“It was really neat to see how as each stage progressed, different students stepped up to be leaders, because their interest was in framing, or electrical, or plumbing,” he said. 

Proceeds from the sale go back into the program to cover costs. 

Bidding for the house starts at $29,000. Sealed bids must be received by 3 p.m. July 31 in the CCISD superintendent’s office, attn: Loret Roberts, 809 Hecla St., Hancock MI, 49930. 

Bid documents are available at copperisd.org.

To arrange an individual showing or ask a question, call Roberts at 482-4250, ext. 182.