For the past several years, students in Salina Area Technical College’s Construction Technology, Electrical Technology and HVAC programs have learned while working alongside local contractors building homes for Salina Habitat for Humanity.

But this past year, to give the students an opportunity to gain experience with a wider variety of methods and materials, the students instead built a home in a growing neighborhood in south Salina at 732 Marla Court.

From 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Salina Tech is hosting an open house at the home, including a ribbon-cutting by the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce.

The 1,461 square-foot home, with a listing price of $249,000, includes several features not normally found in homes in that price range, including a second-story dormer window streaming natural light into the entryway, granite countertops in the kitchen and CAT-5 data cables connecting every room. It is listed through SalinaHomes.com.

“The dormer window, the vaulted ceilings, gave the kids a chance to work on things they wouldn’t have before,” said Kevin Watters, Construction Technology Instructor at Salina Tech. “Habitat homes are built on a slab, and so we used to have to go to another home to learn about basements and flooring systems. Now we can do everything all in one home.”

Some of the home’s features are harder to see, such as the upgraded wiring, explained Electrical Technology Instructor Justin Zerbe.

Zerbe said the wiring is built to carry 20 amps, instead of the usual 15 amps, meaning more appliances can be run off of a single circuit. The home also has a separate circuit for each room. The garage has its own breaker panel, and includes a 220-volt outlet, which could be used to run an air-compressor or welder.

“The electrical system is really overbuilt,” Zerbe said.