18-year-old who spent 3 years building a house from scratch in class ends up owning it

For any creator, the joy of owning their project is profound—a sentiment Victoria Turner knows well after spending three years building a house with her classmates. Now, she can proudly say she helped build her home from the ground up. The high school grad shared her story with PEOPLE. “Four years ago, when I realized I could be a part of a class where we build a house, I thought it'd be a good idea. So I applied.” Little did she know she was in for a surprise after completing the 1200-square-foot house as part of Liberty High School’s construction class.

Inspired by her brother, Victoria has been drawn to construction since she was seven or eight. Before her parents purchased the home, Turner, her classmates, and students from other high schools dedicated countless hours to its construction. She mostly helped with carpentry but also did much of the plumbing and exterior work. Each week, the class devoted six to nine hours to the project. She overheard her student liaison officer, Mr. Hernandez, mentioning that someone was interested in buying the house. At that moment, Victoria joked with her friends, “I made a joke about how if my mom bought it, it would be the biggest take-home project ever." It turns out her mom was actually interested in buying the home. Once she found out, Victoria discussed it with her liaison officer, who was more than happy to sell it to her parents.

The house will soon be relocated to her parents' property, just in time as Victoria plans to move out and share the place with her sister. With rising property prices and rents, this house couldn't be a better gift for her transition to adulthood. To make the moment even more special, Victoria was presented with the house keys during her high school graduation ceremony. She expressed relief at not having to worry about rent, adding, "It's really nice to have our own little place." The house that Victoria will now call home marks the beginning of several other projects she'll undertake. She proudly told KRDO NewsChannel 13, "I like that I know exactly where the beams are if I want to hang stuff up."

Turner is about to start another home-building project the next year. Currently, she’s working at a local roofing company. One of her colleagues with 30 years of experience in construction told her that she’s only the second female in construction he has come across. Victoria Turner is proud to be a significant wave of change happening in the industry. Her father shared with the outlet, “I think it's wonderful that District 20 allows this opportunity for people that don't want to go on to college, to have an opportunity to maybe get some trade experience to actually make a living.”

Editor's note: This article was originally published on December 29, 2023. It has since been updated.