The Block hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft front the auctions as contestants battle for life-changing profits. Picture: Nine

They build multimillion-dollar homes under crippling deadlines, but when the auction hammer falls on The Block, the outcome can mean instant millionaire glory, or financial despair.

For some couples, the hit renovation show has delivered life-changing tax-free windfalls.

For others, months of backbreaking work and time away from jobs and family have ended in heartbreak, with little to show for their effort beyond the $100-a-day stipend that barely covers Melbourne coffee.
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Over 20 seasons, The Block has handed out more than $39m in prize money, but the results have been wildly uneven.

Here are the 10 biggest winners in Block history and the infamous losses that prove just how risky the show can be.

Top 10 Block Profits

1. Steph and Gian Ottavio (2023, Hampton East)

Steph and Gian Ottavio pocketed a record $1.75m in 2023 the biggest win in Block history. Picture: Nine

Profit: $1,750,000

The Melbourne newlyweds smashed records with their Japandi-style masterpiece, which sold for $5m the richest win in Block history.

2. Omar and Oz (2022, Gisborne South “Tree Change”)

Western Sydney mates Omar and Oz shocked the nation with a $1.68m profit in 2022. Picture: Nine

Profit: $1,686,666

Western Sydney tradies Omar and Oz stunned bidders with a $5.6m sale, cementing their spot among the show’s biggest winners.

3. Maddy and Charlotte Harry (2024, Phillip Island)

Sisters Maddy and Charlotte Harry claimed $1.65m on Phillip Island in 2024. Picture: Nine

Profit: $1,650,000

The sisters stormed to victory with their coastal-chic build, walking away as instant millionaires.

4. Jimmy and Tam Wilkins (2020, Brighton)

Queenslanders Jimmy and Tam Wilkins with their daughter Frankie notched $1.06m in 2020 after a buyer collapse nearly derailed their payday. Picture: Nine

Profit: $1,066,000

Their million-dollar win was almost lost when their original buyer failed to pay — a reminder of how fragile even the biggest results can be.

5. Darren and Deanne Jolly (2015, South Yarra “Triple Threat”)

Darren and Deanne Jolly’s bold South Yarra build delivered $935,000 profit in 2015. Picture: Nine

Profit: $935,000

Their bold style divided the judges but delivered almost $1m profit at auction, the home has recently been put on the market.

6. William Bethune and Karlie Cicero (2016, Port Melbourne)

William Bethune and Karlie Cicero charmed bidders for an $815,000 win in Port Melbourne. Picture: Nine

Profit: $815,000

The Queensland couple charmed audiences and bidders alike to claim one of the mid-2010s’ strongest results.

7. Dean and Shay Paine (2015, “Blocktagon” South Yarra)

Dean and Shay Paine conquered the Blocktagon in 2015 with a $755,000 profit. Picture: Nine

Profit: $755,000

The NSW couple conquered one of the toughest builds to land a hefty payday.

8. Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie (2021, Hampton “Fans v Faves”)

Fan favourites Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie scored $744,444 in 2021. Picture: Nine

Profit: $744,444

The seasoned fan favourites proved experience matters, pocketing nearly three-quarters of a million.

9. Tess and Luke Struber (2019, St Kilda)

Newlyweds Tess and Luke Struber turned underdogs to champions with a $730,000 profit in 2019. Picture: Nine

Profit: $730,000

The Cairns newlyweds turned underdog status into a fairytale finish.

10. Hayden and Sara Vale (2018, St Kilda)

Controversial couple Hayden and Sara Vale walked away with $645,000 in 2018. Picture: Nine

Profit: $645,000

Early controversies faded when their renovated terrace brought a commanding result.

The Heartbreaking Lows

Tom and Sarah-Jane made just $20,000 in 2022 before revealing they were $100,000 out of pocket. Picture: Nine

Not every couple walks away smiling.

In 2022, The Block’s Gisbourne South venture saw the biggest losses in the show’s history, Tom and Sarah-Jane made just $20,000.99 at auction but later revealed they were about $100,000 out of pocket once lost income, mortgage payments and childcare were added up.

Their neighbours Dylan and Jenny fared even worse, leaving the show with no profit at all.

The 2014 “Glasshouse” season delivered similar despair — Darren and Deanne Jolly (before their return in later seasons) and Michael and Carlene Moore each scraped just $10,000 worth in profits after 12 weeks.

And in 2011, Amie and Katrina failed to sell above reserve, earning nothing for their Richmond terrace.

Expert view: a lottery in disguise

Buyers’ advocate Cate Bakos says Block auctions are “TV theatre” that can leave contestants with nothing.

Prominent Melbourne buyers advocate Cate Bakos said the wild swings proved how unpredictable The Block auctions really are.

“You can have one team walking away with a life-changing fortune while the couple next door leaves empty-handed,” Ms Bakos said.

“Auction order, the pool of bidders, even the vibe in the room can flip the result.

“It’s TV theatre, entertaining for the viewers, but financially brutal for those who miss out.”

Adelaide twins Alisa and Lysandra Fraser became household names after winning The Block Sky High in 2013.

Ms Bakos said Block buyers often acted very differently from suburban auction crowds.

“They’re not just chasing a home, they’re chasing the TV moment, the bragging rights,” she said.

“That distortion is why you see these million-dollar swings that you’d never see at a regular auction.”

Mortgage broker and buyers advocate Madeleine Roberts warns the gamble can be crippling for families without savings.

Mortgage broker and M R advocacy director Madeleine Roberts said the gamble hit hardest for families giving up secure pay.

“Three months with no reliable salary is tough, especially if you’ve got kids,” Ms Roberts said.

“The stipend might cover food, but mortgages and bills don’t stop.
“That’s why so many contestants now focus on the platform (the show gives), the jackpot is incredible if you land it, but the real win for most is launching a career in design, media or property.”

This year’s Daylesford contestants head to auction in November chasing million-dollar results. Picture: Nine

Ms Roberts said entering the show required serious planning.

“You’d need savings in the bank, maybe even family support, to survive it without going backwards,” she said.
“It’s not just a TV adventure, it’s a high-stakes financial decision.”

With Daylesford set to host the next auctions in November, hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft will lead the charge as five fresh teams: Emma & Ben, Han & Can, Britt & Taz, Sonny & Alicia, and Robby & Mat, roll the dice once more for the shows 21st season, chasing million-dollar magic among equal parts hope and heartbreak.

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The indoor waterfall and cocktail bar at 3239 Epping-Kilmore Rd, Wandong.

A Wandong house featuring a two-storey high indoor waterfall and impressive cocktail bar is ready to welcome a new owner.

The four-bedroom abode, described as both the “ultimate party house” and a great family home, is on the market with a $2.65m price tag.

Set on 1.22ha, the residence at 3239 Epping-Kilmore Rd has a large entertainers’ area fitted with a fully-equipped wet bar bearing a neon light-up “cocktails” sign, an open fireplace and high timber-lined ceilings.

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The house was constructed by its previous owner, builder and architect Rod Williamson, while the current owners moved in about two decades ago.

One of the owners said she and her husband were amazed by the waterfall when they first inspected the property.

“There were lots of wow factors for us, but to walk in to that was pretty special,” she said.

“It goes up to two storeys, from the entrance up to the second level.”

She added that the house’s bar was “as big as the bar down at the local pub”.

“We’ve had some cracker parties there,” she said.

The house was originally built by builder and architect Rod Williamson.

The indoor waterfall welcomes visitors …

… and leads to the bar and entertainers’ area.

Famous Australian musicians including former Chocolate Starfish frontman Adam Thompson and the band’s former guitarist Marcus Kurban have performed at the residence.

Actor, comedian and musician George Kapiniaris, known for The Flying Doctors, Fat Pizza, Underbelly and Acropolis Now, has also performed there.

A quirky inclusion in the home’s entertainers’ area is a bookcase that has been remodelled into a life-size Egyptian sarcophagus that’s used to hold pool cues.

The kitchen, appointed with granite benchtops and a walk-in pantry, is adjacent to the open-plan meals and living area.

The main bedroom includes a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite with a double vanity, corner spa and shower.

A gym with a sauna, study, plus a powder room, laundry, four-car garage and established gardens with a firepit and an outdoor multi-tier waterfall are also on offer.

The house and gardens are accessed by a tree-lined bitumen driveway.

Enjoy a game of pool, watch television or warm yourself by the fire.

The kitchen features granite benchtops and a walk-in pantry,

The owner said that she and her husband were selling now their children have grown up.

She recalled hosting a laser skirmish party for one of her children’s birthdays.

“We had glow in the dark parties, so we set up a marquee out the back and put all the

those purple lights in there and they all squirted each other with glow paint,” she said.

During their time at the home, they also renovated the bathrooms and installed a glass wall in the study.

Nutrien Harcourts Kilmore director Jeanette Laffan said the craftsmanship in the house was “amazing”.

“You look up at these beautiful timber ceilings, the entertaining area is mind-blowing,” Ms Laffan said.

“Anybody would love it, it’s the absolute ultimate party house with the bar, the beautiful open fireplace and not every house has an indoor waterfall in the entry.”

The main bedroom’s ensuite is appointed with a double vanity, corner spa and large shower.

There’s another waterfall in the garden.

Work up a sweat in the home gym.

Ms Laffan said the home offered plenty of privacy as well as a location close to the Hume Freeway and Wandong and Heathcote Junction railway stations, for people wanting to travel to Melbourne.

“You can literally walk to the train station and jump on a train into the city and there’s really good school buses and access to good schools,” she said.

“It makes a statement that house, but at the same time it’s also been a really comfortable family home for a long time.”

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It’s a tie! The judges loved Britt and Taz’s neutral toned kitchen with its whizbang appliances just as much as Robby and Mat’s country homestyle space with a Bond villain entryway.

Rather than having the two teams split the $10,000 prize, host Scott Cam decided to award them each the full amount.

As usual, the frugal Alicia and Sonny took home the prize for being the most budget savvy (no mean feat given they had also spent the week making-over their much-criticised loungeroom).

It was small compensation for the Queensland couple after yet another roasting from judge Marty Fox. Although Marty, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer agreed that the lounge-room re-do had “saved the house” they were divided in their response to the blue kitchen.

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Sonny and Alicia “saved their house” with their living room do-over and had the best kitchen layout of all but Marty Fox was underwhelmed.

On the plus side, Shyanna felt it worked beautifully with the surrounding landscape. Darren added that Sonny and Alicia had the “Goldilocks of kitchen layouts” as he noted that people could exit the bedroom without traversing the kitchen and easily access the fridges and ovens for cooking prep.

Marty however was decidedly underwhelmed, complaining it all felt like a “very basic space” that didn’t stir any feelings.

“It doesn’t really feel very Daylesford,” Marty added as Shaynna and Darren heartily disagreed.

“If you brought 10 buyers through here, after what we have seen previously today, it’s last on the list.”

Marty said simply putting everything in the right place wasn’t a winning recipe.

“Correct doesn’t win rooms,” he argued. “Correct doesn’t win The Block.”

To drive home his disgust, he decreed: “There’s no elegance. There’s no sophistication. It doesn’t feel luxurious. It doesn’t feel expensive. And I am totally disengaged. I really don’t like this room. I find this kitchen as bland as that cut up plain bread.”

Ben and Emma was declared nice but unmemorable.

Marty was far less savage in his appraisals of this week’s woodenspooners Ben and Emma. Their chief crime appears to have been creating a kitchen that was nice but unmemorable.

In contrast, Han and Can got a better score but copped far more criticism for their handiwork. After crediting the girls’ risk taking, Darren zeroed in on that rangehood. He said it was too low and wide for the space (no shocks there after all the foreshadowing).

Shaynna, meanwhile, was left cold by everything in the room except the drawers with internal LED lighting and the fridge position.

“The kitchen is the heart of the home and this kitchen has no heart,” she sighed. “The more I stand here the more I think that I can’t wait to get out.”

Shaynna was disappointed to see the girls turning away from bold colours (a mixed message given Han and Can were hauled over the coals for that bright blue bed head a few weeks back) and feared the white kitchen would date quickly.

Han and Can’s white kitchen with concussion risk rangehood.

“I come to Daylesford to be nurtured,” she said. “I come to Daylesford to be hugged and I feel like I have to be careful where I stand here.”

Disagreeing, Marty felt it was bold yet marketable.

“It’s just the colour palette that is neutral, everything else is risky,” he argued.

Britt and Taz’s space was also neutral in tone but the opinions were anything but that. All three were wowed by the vast expense of timber on the ceiling with Marty swooning “this is 70s cool.”

For Darren, bigger was better as he marvelled at the plus-sized island bench (unaware how much time and effort had gone into downsizing that bench so that it would be the same height as the surrounding benches).

The only flaw found (by Marty, of course) was the fridge placement. Moved at the last minute to separate it from the ovens because the ventilation grates didn’t line up, Marty felt it was now in “no man’s land”.

Joint winner’s Britt and Taz’s only error was fridge placement, according to the judges.

But a swooning Shaynna sighed “be still my beating heart” as she took it all in, declaring the West Australian cops this year’s front runners.

The trio were equally enamoured by Robby and Mat’s efforts. Even though the boys didn’t have the same booty of lavish appliances as Britt and Taz, their styling choices won them votes.

Darren purred: “wow, this kitchen is great” as Marty enthused over how cosy it all felt.

The judges weren’t sold on the secret bookshelf doorway to the main bedroom, fearing it didn’t offer enough privacy. Plus, there was a risk of knick-knacks going flying when opening and shutting it.

Mat and Robby came equal first for their kitchen.

Shaynna thought the boys’ quirky styling was on point until she noticed they’d left a plastic tub of tzatziki out on their platter.

“Put it in a dish,” she chided.

Even still, she said the room gave her all the feels. And that’s what she’s looking for in a kitchen.

“Does it have heart? Does it make you want to be here?” Shaynna said. “And it does.”

Britt and Taz: 28.5

Robby and Mat: 28.5

Sonny and Alicia: 27

Han and Can: 26.5

Ben and Emma: 26

MISSED AN EPISODE? HERE’S ALL OUR RECAPS SO FAR

Episode 1: Why no NSW applicants were good enough for The Block

Episode 2: The worst day on The Block

Episode 3/4: ‘Tear them off’: teams forced to rip tiles from walls

Episode 5: Judges feedback leaves one contestant vomiting

Episode 6: Dan and Dani’s heartbreak

Episode 7: The big problem with the Block house designs

Episode 8: Robby and Mat’s drunken blunder

Episode 9: ‘An up-market nursing home’

Episode 10: Can faces the wrath of Han

Episode 11: Han micromanaging from her sick bed

Episode 12: Sonny cops a spray from Alicia

Episode 13: Brutal feedback leaves Block team confused

Episode 14: Han and Can are in trouble with Dan, and other contestants

Episode 15: Han explodes at Dan in shocking tirade

Episode 16: Defiant Han gets epic dressing down from Scott Cam

Episode 17: Two teams are smashed by hyperbolic judges

Episode 18: Two teams start the week devastated by judges’ feedback

Episode 19: Copying scandal erupts as Alicia and Sonny point the finger

Episode 20: Ben and Emma drop good news into tense Block week

Episode 21: Ben and Emma and Sonny and Alicia cop the wrath of the judges

Episode 22: As Sonny and Alicia despair, Mat summons his inner Mean Boy

Episode 23: Han and Can all but quit the spa room challenge

Episode 24: Ben and Emma finally crack after yet another loss

Episode 25: Britt and Taz make a major blunder

Episode 26: The girls fire their builder

Episode 27: Ben and Emma hatch a sneaky plan

Episode 28: Britt’s decision to freeze out her former bestie has Alicia on the warpath

The post The Block 2025 Episode 29 recap: ‘basic’, ‘no heart’, ‘not elegant’ – judges pan some teams’ kitchens appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The blockchain-powered home equity lender says it has not only revolutionized the process of originating mortgages, but financing them by making it easy for investors to trade them as assets.