The Block Australia
Season 8 Episode 49 - Episode 49
Tonight the teams look back on what they’ve achieved in ten long weeks. Jess and Ayden have loved the experience, Charlotte calls it a dream. They are ready and waiting for feedback from the all important buyers and the judges. Buyers advocates Frank, Greville and Nicole bring in a huge crowd of potential buyers, starting with Josh and Charlotte’s apartment. Josh and Charlotte are thrilled with the feedback on their apartment, the buyers think they’ve created a beautiful apartment. One buyer wants to come back for a second look. Tim and Anastasia are next up. They get great feedback for their living and dining area and the second entertainment area gets a big thumbs up. The ensuite also gets good feedback. Ayden and Jess’s apartment is next up and the buyers feedback here is also good. All of Greville’s buyers liked the study areas and shutters. In Dea and Darren’s apartment the buys love the terrace flowing out from the kitchen. Many buyers notice that the courtyard is much bigger than some of the terraces. The wine cellar gets a lot of points too. The teams head to HQ to hear the feedback from Scotty. He has plenty of money to give away for the final visit to HQ. There’s $20,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for last place. Scotty tells the contestants that the buyers advocates have buyers for all the apartments. The teams with the highest combined scores will have the prize money taken off their reserve on auction day. Josh and Charlotte are first up. The parents retreat is the perfect room for one buyer. The judges love the completed Block, Neale calls it the perfect contemporary apartment building for South Yarra. Neale thinks the young Manly couple have adapted. Darren loves the layout and would have done exactly the same if he was designing it. Shaynna thinks they have a very high level of sophistication. They’ve delivered subtle luxury. Next up Tim and Anastasia. Some of the buyers didn’t like the floor plan on level 1. They love the high ceilings, and they also love the kitchen and living/dining area. They like the retreats, and think that the level two retreat could be transformed into a bedroom. The judges are next up and Shaynna is very happy that the dining room ceiling has been fixed. They didn’t like the cookoo clock, but they do love the media room/retreat. But they still think that it should have been made into a bedroom. Darren thinks their apartment isn’t as contemporary as other South Yarra apartments and Shaynna thinks their apartment is confused. The buyers loved Ayden and Jess’s terrace, and some of the buyers even loved the hexagonal tiles in the main bathroom. Some buyers thought that their study felt like an airline lounge with the inclusion of a bar fridge and coffee machine. The judges love the money spent on the garage, especially with the car! They think that the couple have evolved into something very sophisticated. Darren thinks the kitchen is too big and in the wrong spot but he does like the terrace and the new layout in the living room. Darren and Dea are next up. The buyers really like the courtyard and think it’s the best one on The Block. Some of the buyers thought it was too cluttered but others loved it. Greville has had an offer on the apartment already but has said they’ll have to wait for auction day. The judges also love the overall end result. Neale thinks it is very well suited to South Yarra. Their apartment will probably have the broadest appeal and Neale thinks its always been their plan. Dea never doubted moving their kitchen. Shaynna sticks by her opinion of the leopard print bed head. Darren thinks the master bedroom is the best on The Block. Scotty writes up his scores and when Darren and Shaynna’s scores are revealed its a dead heat between Dea and Darren and Charlotte and Josh. Charlotte and Josh - Darren 9, Shaynna 9, Neale 8.5, Buyers 24.5 = Total 51. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 7, Shaynna 6.5, Neale 6.5, Buyers 23 = Total 43. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8.5, Shaynna 8.5, Neale 9, Buyers 26 = Total 52. Dea and Darren - Darren 9 Shaynna 9, Neale 9.5, Buyers 27 = Total 54.5. So Darren and Deanne win, with $20,000 off their reserve. They’re so happy and Darren says its a credit to himself and Deanne. Ayden and Jess win $15,000 off their reserve. $10,000 for Josh and Charlotte off their reserve. They’re happy with some good scores from the judges. Tim and Anastasia don’t get anything off their reserve but they’ve still scored well.
Audio Languages: English
Season 8
S08:E01 - Episode 1
Six couples will fight it out for the three available spots. They’ll just have to please the judges with three rooms including a bathroom in one week.
S08:E02 - Episode 2
Six hours to go until tools down and there’s plenty of work, shopping and styling to be done before the bedrooms are complete.
S08:E03 - Episode 3
Last night’s winners are woken by the camera crew, and the rest know how close the results were and wants to get through once again.
S08:E04 - Episode 4
The teams work through the night to get their bedrooms completed. There’s no sleep for most teams and as the morning rolls around the teams paint, iron, clean and prepare their rooms for the judges. All except for Ayden and Jess. They sleep in past 7:00AM which leaves them less than two hours before Scotty arrives for tools down. But Tim and Anastasia are finished ahead of time. Josh is running on empty and was putting on door handles backwards, as well as hanging pictures incorrectly. Luke is also struggling as he reveals to Ebony that he’s put the TV bracket on upside down. At tools down the teams are relieved that there’s one more room completed and they nervously head to HQ where they’ll find out what the judges think of their rooms. Shaynna and Neale are the judges. Tim and Anastasia are first up, they’ve been in the bottom two for the first elimination challenge. They have a lot to prove. Shaynna thinks their room is beautiful and think their choice of artwork is magnificent. They also like the light fitting but on a negative note they don’t like the pelmet or the small coffee table. They would also have liked to seen a TV. Ayden and Jess are next up and both Shaynna and Neale love the styling and choice of colours. They are impressed with the lighting and Ayden’s hand made table. Shaynna picks up the Miami vibe and then Neale picks up the trinket saying Florida and they’re both impressed that they’ve picked up the look Jess has gone for. Tiny negatives for Ayden’s tiny gap in his mitre join and the judges are struggling to find faults in this room. Neale and Shaynna like Aimee and Brooke’s consistency and choice of sofa, rug and artwork. But the scale is all wrong. The coffee table is too small, the sofa too big and the TV cabinet too big and chunky. The girls aren’t happy and feel they’ve given it their best shot. Ebony and Luke’s room gets a big tick from the judges. They love the pink wall, although admit it was a risky move. Shaynna says she now loves that colour again. They love the rug and sofa and cabinet, Shaynna says Ebony has a great eye. On a negative note the judges noticed the unfinished pelmet. Charlotte and Josho are next up and Neale says wow straight away! He loves it! Shaynna loves the exposed brick wall and they both love the furniture choices in the room especially the chairs which could also be used as occasional chairs. The only negative was the rug which is too small and not well placed on an angle. Not surprisingly Josh and Charlotte are the winners, coming first once again. Second place are Ayden and Jess. Third are Ebony and Luke. Brooke and Aimee are eliminated - they’re devastated and thought they had a great room. They had a great time on The Block and go out to celebrate with the remaining contestants who want to give them a celebratory send off.
S08:E05 - Episode 5
There are four teams remaining to fight it out. They must renovate their bathrooms in 72 hours. The team that scores the lowest with the judges will be the final team to be eliminated and the remaining three will win the right to move into The Block. Its been a big few days and they’re all finding it hard to get out of bed. First thing to do is inspect each other’s completed living and dining rooms. Then its straight to work on their bathrooms. Ayden and Jess know what they’re doing and have planned elaborate patterned tiles. Charlotte is a bit worried as she knows nothing about bathrooms so she and Josh head out shopping. Tim and Anastasia get some bad news from the fore boy Dan about waterproofing standards, but three out of four couples have the same problem. Luke isn’t aware of the Victorian rules about bathroom certification. He’ll need his waterproofer to get on board straight away. Lucky Ayden is on hand to give his advice to Luke. Ayden goes shopping for bathroom fittings with Jess and Ayden wants to choose everything in about five minutes. Josh chooses everything for their bathroom, Charlotte knows nothing about bathroom fittings so leaves all the decision making to Josh. Jess tells Ayden she wants a timber shower base and Ayden says he’ll make it for her. Tim and Anastasia decide they need a point of difference for the bathroom. They decide on underfloor heating, and they want to keep it a secret from the other teams. Ebony and Luke decide on vertical subway tiles for their point of difference. Keith keeps a close eye on progress with Dan and Keith is worried about Ayden and Jess. They’re going to need a renderer to get started as soon as possible on their walls. Choices are limited for the teams when they shop at Reece because all their basins need to have an overflow as there is no floor waste in any of the bathrooms. Ebony and Luke have plenty of issues too with their bathroom needing bricking up, rendering and sealing. And they can’t put their shower head in the ceiling which means they’ll have to choose another shower head. The teams work through the night waterproofing their bathrooms. Tim and Anastasia’s waterproofer agrees to helps out Ayden and Jess when they’ve finished their work for T and A. But Tim doesn’t like it and asks the waterproofer not to work for anyone else. Jess and Ayden think Tim is being a bit harsh.
S08:E06 - Episode 6
Luke and Ebony from WA have had the most setbacks with waterproofing issues and plumbing fixtures not being on site when they need them. They can’t complete the waterproofing because they’re waiting on parts and at the start of a new day they are behind the other teams. Tim and Anastasia have chosen diamond marble mosaic tiles and the tiler is worried that the tiles are going to look dodgy if they lay the tiles onto the newly waterproofed walls. They decide to sheet the wall first so that the tiled finish will be perfect. Josh saves the day by lending Luke his plumber to install the flick mixer. Ayden tries desperately to render the wall around his plumbing. He quickly runs out of render and tells Keith he’s going to use glue to make up for the render short fall. This doesn’t sound good to Keith and Ayden must make up more render. Keith is full of bad news for Luke too, telling him to take down their old ceiling and replace it with a new one. He also tells them to run their wall tiles right up to the ceiling but Luke isn’t sure its possible. Josh thinks Charlotte has ordered the wrong tiles for their bathroom. Charlotte’s not sure which way she wants the tiles laid - in fact she’s not even sure what horizontal means! Ayden rushes to make up more render and get it on the wall in preparation for the waterproofing that needs doing. He’s also trying to make a bathroom vanity too to impress the judges. Dan comes to the rescue of Luke and Ebony, and tells them to put a new ceiling underneath the old one, saving them much needed hours. Josh puts his fire retardant plasterboard in the cavity for his shaving cabinet. Dan give Josh the bad news that his waterproofing needs some repairs before it will pass certification. Ayden and Jess’s elaborate wall tiles are proving tricky for their tiler to lay under pressure. Their glazier arrives to install the shower screen but with the tiler delayed they can’t install their shower screen until the morning of reveal. For Luke and Ebony things go from bad to worse. Late at night just before reveal day, their toilet cistern is the wrong one and the vanity and basin they’ve ordered are both too big. And they don’t have the right tap either. Luke has a good laugh about it but he knows it could be the move that sends he and Ebony home.
S08:E07 - Episode 7
With just 13 hours to go until the bathrooms must be delivered, all the teams are at different stages of completion. But its still anybody’s race. All the teams work through the night to complete their tiling, grouting, cleaning and siliconing all the joins. Luke and Ebony have had a bad night because their toilet cistern is wrong, and their vanity is too big. In comparison, previous winners Josh and Charlotte are in good shape. Tim is sleeping in after a night of work. Luke rushes out to get a small, much cheaper vanity for their bathroom. He and Ebony aren’t happy with it but they have a good laugh about it, especially when Luke sees the enormous tap that has to go with it! When Scotty calls tools down, Luke and Ebony aren’t happy with their finished product but they’re trying to stay positive. They think that they’ll be the last team to be eliminated, once the judges see their competition. First up Tim and Anastasia’s bathroom is judged by Neale and Darren. Darren likes it and Neale thinks its a clever use of space. Its a huge risk to use so many different surfaces but both agree that the room feels high end, like a boutique hotel. Ayden and Jess are next up and the judges feel like they’re in Morocco with the choice of tiles. They love the tiles but not in such a small space. Darren would have liked to have seen more storage in Ayden’s handmade vanity and some more towel rails. Luke and Ebony’s bathroom doesn’t get such good feedback. Darren likes the colour of the feature tile but quickly notices that there is no door or shower screen. The vanity doesn’t work either and they can see the larger one in the living room, knowing that it doesn’t fit. The towel rails were also an issue for Darren. Josh and Charlotte are next up and Darren and Neale both think it looks and feels like a sanctuary. They like the choice of tap ware, tiles and fittings. Big tick for the custom made timber cupboard. First place goes to Tim and Anastasia who are thrilled to get through. Next to go through, coming second are Josh and Charlotte. They too are thrilled, and have delivered three very good rooms, Scotty calls them the team to beat. Ayden and Jess are the final team to get through, leaving Luke and Ebony the last team to be eliminated. They are devastated, even though they knew their bathroom wasn’t great, they were sad to hear the results. All the teams are sad to see them leave. Scotty shows the teams their scores. Ayden and Jess - Darren 7.5, Neale 7 = 14.5. Luke and Ebony - Darren 6, Neale 6 = 12. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 9, Neale 9.5 = 18.5. Josho and Charlotte - Darren 8.5, Neale 9 = 17.5. We learn a bit more about the three new teams as they arrive at the new very red new Block. They will be renovating a room each week. Scotty tells Josh and Charlotte to choose three keys, they’ve got three apartments each to choose, 1, 2 and 3, 4, 5 and 6 or 7, 8 and 9. They get 1,2 and 3. Tim and Anastasia choose 4,5 and 6 so Ayden and Jess get 7, 8 and 9.
S08:E08 - Episode 8
Tonight the All Stars learn from Scotty that they’ll start the competition with one apartment each. He gives them each the keys. All six teams have seven days to deliver a bedroom. At the end of the week the six rooms will be judged. The newbies will be fighting it out for the $10,000 room prize and the All Stars will be fighting it out to stay in the competition. The team that takes out the weekly win will stay in the competition. The other two teams will be going home. Its the first time the All Stars have been in an elimination and all three teams want a place on The Block. The three new teams have three units, one stacked above the other. The front stack has been claimed by Josh and Charlotte. Next door are Tim and Anastasia. Third in the row is Jess and Ayden. Bec and George have got the first floor apartment. On the second floor in an identical apartment are Matt and Kim. Dea and Darren are on the top floor in another identical apartment. The next day work begins in all the apartments but there’s not much the newbies can do until they see plans for the building. Scotty arrives with plans to tell them what they’ll be doing for the next ten weeks. The three new teams will each be converting their three apartments into one. Three bedrooms, three bathrooms, kitchen, living, dining, cellar and laundry in the basement and two car parking spaces. The newbies will be getting a stack of vouchers plus $150,000, straight into their AMP accounts. This week they’re starting on the second floor with a bedroom. They’re all very excited. Ayden and Jess have the smallest apartment, Tim and Anastasia have the largest and Josh and Charlotte are in between. Darren starts demolishing his room straight away and Scotty arrives to tell them they’ve got $10,000 to renovate their bedrooms this week. The rooms are small and the All Stars think it’ll be a challenge. The suppliers arrive to measure up for wardrobes and window furnishings and the All Stars know they have to bring something unique for the judges. Josh and Charlotte decide on plantation shutters for their whole apartment. Ayden and Jess know that they’re going to need a builder they can count on at all time. Anastasia is loving having a whole week to do a bedroom and meets up with a curtain supplier to choose her sheer fabric curtains. She’s chosen a supplier who is also working with Dea and Darren. Jess tells Ayden that she wants him to to expose the brickwork on one of the walls, but its not something Ayden wants to rush into. Charlotte and Josh’s doorway to their apartment is partially blocked by the scaffold and they’re wondering how they’re going to get all their materials inside. Keith tells everyone they’ll need to empty their apartment of all the old furniture. At the end of the first day of renovating most of the teams have a general plan for their bedrooms. George and Bec know how hard the competition is and were shocked when Scotty told them about the elimination challenge. Jess and Ayden’s original builder says he’ll do the job and will also bring an apprentice.
S08:E09 - Episode 9
Its the start of a new day and the newbies have to think way ahead to kitchen week. They’ve got to meet with The Good Guys to plan their kitchen and Tim and Anastasia struggle to get head kitchen design. Ayden and Jess have decided they want to move their kitchen and they’re hoping Keith and Dan will agree with their decision. The All Stars have a different battle, they know they’re competing with some talented designers. Dea and Bec are both experienced but are feeling the pressure. Matt and Kim have decided on a luxe Hollywood feel for their room, complete with and mouldings on the walls. Charlotte is thinking about the big picture and has chosen timber floors for the whole apartment. She heads out shopping to Coco Republic and chooses items for her whole room, spending up big. Jess has to design his new kitchen before the architect will give it the go ahead. He’s struggling to fit in Jess’s request for a butlers pantry. Julian the architect arrives to talk to Ayden but he has headed out with Jess. They discuss Ayden’s new kitchen plan and Julian agrees to assess their new plans just in time for Jess and Ayden to arrive at The Good Guys. Dea shops for high end finishes, including sea grass wallpaper for their bedroom this week. She and Darren are firing on all cylinders but Matt and Kim and George and Bec are struggling to get back into the hectic pace on The Block. Ayden’s apartment is too messy for work to continue. His builder Matt is the one left to clean up the mess. Scotty arrives to check on progress and starts with the All Stars. Darren is on track and looking towards putting their ceilings up tomorrow. Matt and Kim are also progressing well with their room. They’ve gone traditional in their design which is not their usual style. Scotty doesn’t like that George has covered up the vents in their room. Keith and Dan tells the newbie boys that they’ve got walls to demolish to make their apartments more open plan. They get to work with sledge hammers. After a good afternoon of demolition Keith shouts the boys some well earned beers. Its not going to happen every week but they newbies are happy to relax!
S08:E10 - Episode 10
Safety Cam is ruffling feathers today, checking that all the trades on site have up to date insurance. Darren’s plasterer doesn’t have an up to date renewal form to show Safety Cam so Darren needs to find another plasterer. Lucky Ayden has a plasterer that Darren can use until things are rectified. There are several walls that are being demolished but time is of the essence and Josh is determined to do all the work himself. Keith thinks Josh should get some help because he doesn’t want to hold the steel installers up. Ayden is busy pulling his walls down too. But Tim and Anastasia aren’t even on site Keith and Dan want work to start. They’re not too worried about the work load and think Keith can bring his own guys onto the job. Darren wants to use a particular finish for the cornices and skirting in their bedroom but Dea isn’t happy about it. Darren puts his foot down and insists that Dea has to trust him. Anastasia goes shopping for bedside tables for her room - they need to tie in with her bed head. Bec and George decide on parquetry flooring in a herringbone pattern. Kim and Matt’s mouldings are looking good, and Kim goes shopping for black door handles for their room. Bec has commissioned a custom made side table and she loves it. Keith inspects Josh’s efforts to prepare his floors. Josh has tried to level the floor by putting ply sheeting down first. But Keith tells him to take it off and start again and nail the plywood. Site offices are erected on top of a huge gantry at the front of The Block, and Keith gets very excited. The wardrobes are being installed and Scotty and Shelley arrive to check on progress. Dea and Darren are trying to show the judges something different. Matt and Kim have chosen Victorian panelling to try and impress. Bec and George have a gorgeous photographic print that they are hoping will help bring the win. The newbies meet Shelley for the first time. Tim and Anastasia tell Scotty and Shelley that they’re making their apartment a smart home, by installing C Bus throughout. Josh and Charlotte also have some cards up their sleeve. They’ve gone for a venetian render for their walls in the bedroom and Scotty and Shelley think they’re onto a winner. Ayden and Jess play a joke on Scotty and Shelley, telling them they’ll be using a painting that they found in their room on move in day. Darren and Dea aren’t happy with the finish of the wallpaper on the walls. It needs re-hanging because Darren and the wallpaper hanger put the joins in all the wrong places.
S08:E11 - Episode 11
Its the last working day before reveal of the bedrooms, a big day for the All Stars because only one couple will stay on The Block. Dea supervises the wallpaper going up for the second time. Ayden installs the floorboards himself, he wants Jess out of the room until the end of the day. Matt and Kim have had their floors laid on a diagonal and they’re happy with the results. Bec and George take delivery of some custom made bedside tables. Foreboy Dan tells one of the curtain installers that he must leave because he’s not had the safety induction, as all trades and contractors have to have. Matt is left to hang the curtains himself. Anastasia goes to Mitre 10 to choose the perfect white for her room. The rooms begin to take shape as dressing begins. Matt doesn’t love their room, Josh is confident and Tim decides to leave the styling entirely to Anastasia. Jess and Ayden need to paint and Jess is tired and emotional. Bec think they’ve got a good chance of winning the room. The teams head to HQ to get their feedback from Scotty. Darren Palmer, Neale Whitaker and John McGrath are the judges tonight. Scotty updates them on the newbies and the All Stars. Josh and Charlotte are first up. Neale loves the bedside table and so does Darren but they think its too big. Neale doesn’t like the artwork for this room, its too young and not sophisticated enough. Darren doesn’t like the wardrobe doors and the all white scheme, saying its too harsh and clinical. Neale likes their elimination rooms better than this room. Next up is Tim and Anastasia and first impressions aren’t good. While they do like the home automation, there’s nothing else they like. The cat on the window sill doesn’t impress. The cat was meant to be a bit of a joke and a running theme throughout their apartment but it doesn’t go down with the judges. They're not sure what kind of room the couple have tried to create. Ayden and Jess’s room has soul, according to Neale. John thinks the room will appeal to the buyers and they all like the bedhead and the rug. They all agree that nine cushions are too many for the bed, and Darren doesn’t like the flooring choice. The scores are in and Ayden and Jess win the first room. They’re very happy with the win, and will take home $10,000 to continue their renovating. Josho and Charlotte - Darren 7, John 7, Neale 7 = 21. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 6, John 6, Neale 6.5 = 18.5. Jess and Ayden - Darren 7, John 7, Neale 75 = 21.5. The All Stars are next up and the competition hits a whole new level with the standard improving and impressing all the judges. All the teams want to stay but there’s only from for one team. The judges find it hard to make a decision and they don’t want to see anyone go home. Scotty tells the teams he doesn’t want to tell two teams they’re going home, he’s been dreading this moment and he’d like to see them all competing on The Block.
S08:E12 - Episode 12
Tonight the teams finally learn which All Star couple will make it onto The Block. Darren and Dea are the winners and although George and Bec are devastated but they’re also happy for Darren and Dea. They head back to the Block and surprise the three new teams. With the final teams locked in, the teams check out each other’s completed rooms and the teams pretty much agree with the judges, especially in Tim and Anastasia’s room. The new contestants are very impressed with Darren and Dea’s room. But Tim and Anastasia think that the wallpaper is uneven and Charlotte thinks their style is too old. Darren and Dea move in and apart from renovating a master bathroom, they must also eventually remove the two bedrooms renovated by Matt and Kim and Bec and George. Apartments one two and three have very long and narrow bathrooms that measure only 5 metres squared. Dea and Darren’s bathroom is 9 square metres, as they’re converting an old kitchen into a bathroom. Darren’s got a lot of demolition to do, and gets busy. Tim and Anastasia are determined to get things right this week after the bad feedback from their bedroom. Josh and Charlotte decide not to put a bath in this week and go for a long shower, the width of the room. The teams head to Reece to choose all their bathroom fittings and Jess and Ayden decide to make their toilet separate from the bathroom, taking space away from the adjoining bedroom. Its a risky move but they know they’ve got to impress the judges. Anastasia struggles with their bathroom design, and keeps going back to the drawing board for ideas. Scotty arrives with some good news for Tim and Anastasia. Darren Palmer is going to fly down from Sydney to mentor Tim and Anastasia, helping them create their perfect room. Jess and Ayden argue about the layout of their bathroom. They’re not sure what cabinetry to go with and Jess is unimpressed with Ayden’s idea of a standard shaving cabinet. The good news is that Ayden does get the go ahead to divide their bathroom into two rooms. Darren Palmer gets to work in Anastasia and Tim’s bedroom, while they get busy planning their bathroom. After a few hours, plenty of tradesmen and a healthy budget, Tim and Anastasia have a whole new room. They are so impressed and happy with the end result and Anastasia is now confident to try something different. She’s going to take elements from the room and implement them into the rest of their apartment.
S08:E13 - Episode 13
Its the second week on The Block and teams are struggling with the early wake ups and the weather. Darren and Dea have found out about Darren Palmer re-doing Tim and Anastasia’s room. They suspect that their style has been copied by Darren and they’re not happy. Charlotte has second thoughts about yesterday’s tile choices. They have spent hours choosing tiles but Charlotte thinks they’ve got too many elements in the room. But Josh has got bigger problems because his bathroom slab is the wrong level. He tries to make the slab lower by digging into it but Dan has told him its against the rules. Keith arrives and shows Josh that if he tampers with the slab, he will be weakening it. Delays aren’t ideal because Stegbar have arrived to measure up everyone’s shower screens. Keith and Dan continue on the warpath and they discover that Darren’s ceilings joists aren’t meeting code. The joists need to sit on edge, not flat and Darren’s builder agrees to change them. While Tim and Anastasia head out, Darren and Dea sneak a peak at Darren Palmer’s re-do room. Dea isn’t happy that the room features the same artist, sea grass wallpaper and a velvet cushion. So she confronts Anastasia about the wallpaper. Anastasia says she’s always wanted sea grass wallpaper but Dea tells her its not a good idea for them to both have the same look. Josh discovers that he’s installed Tim and Anastasia’s in-wall toilet cistern. They’ve both ordered the same toilet but a different cistern and Josh has simply picked up the wrong package. Keith delivers some special door mats to the teams - the door mats join together and make a message saying “The Block wasn’t built in a day”. There’s a message on the back of the mats saying “but challenges are”. Anastasia ins’t happy but they teams must all meet Scotty and Shelley at HQ for a creative challenge. There are some gorgeous rugs on display from Designer Rugs, some have been designed by Camilla Franks. The teams must design their own signature rug that defines their own style. They’ve got to make a prototype. And the winning design will be made into a real rug for living and dining room week. They’ll also win $5000 cash and the power of the chalk! They’ll be able to take one point of a team on reveal day. They’ll also get $2000 to shop for furniture to complement their rugs. The teams get busy designing their rugs and shopping for furniture to dress the room. Camilla Franks herself arrives to judge the finished prototypes. She’s impressed that all the teams have come with such great designs but gives the win to Ayden and Jess. Their hexagon rug impressed the most and their prototype will be sent off to Designer Rugs and made into a rug before living and dining room. They must also decide (overnight) who they will take the point off on reveal day.
S08:E14 - Episode 14
Its the middle of bathroom week and all the contestants are stressed out. There’s only two days before delivery. Anastasia talks to Bec about Deanne’s confrontation over the seagrass wallpaper. Darren and Dea’s bathroom is the biggest at 9 square metres. But the long narrow room has still been a challenge for Dea to design. Scotty pays a visit to the Block and heads straight to Ayden and Jess. They’ve won $25,000 in the past couple of weeks. And after the rug challenge they’ve got one point to take off a team on room delivery day. They tell Scotty they’ve decided to take a point off Darren and Dea. Darren and Dea’s back terrace is taking shape and they’re excited about how its going to look. Josh is freaking out about the bathroom delivery. They head out to Beaumont Tiles. Jess takes some time out from renovating to go to Designer Rugs to design her own rug. She changes a couple of colours and sees her rug take shape in the showroom. Scotty and Shelley arrive for their weekly walk throughs and they head straight to Dea and Darren’s. Their tiling is coming along and Shelley thinks the size of their bathroom will be an advantage. Jess and Ayden are doing a separate toilet, and Tim and Anastasia have recessed shelving and marble diamond tiles. Josh and Charlotte have had a rough week but they’re happy that the week is nearly over. Keith and Dan put on a BBQ for all the teams. They’re working together very well. Darren is frustrated that Safety Cam hasn’t been inducting tradesmen. Darren’s waiting his trades to be able to work onsite. There are five tradesmen waiting but Cam is busy driving a fork lift and Darren isn’t happy. Tim and Anastasia’s tiles aren’t sticking to the walls and there’s not much the tiler can do about it. Ayden and Jess’s tiler is cutting tiles on a no-tools Saturday morning. Dan tells them they’ll have to wait until precisely 9a before they cut. Ayden’s version of the shower base that Jess wanted isn’t exactly what Jess thought it would be. Josh is a perfectionist, although he seems laid back, he gets very stressed under pressure and he’s feeling the heat this week. His shower screen arrives and its too long so they’re making some changes, hoping it’ll fit. The teams are forced to work around the concrete cutters and the noise is deafening.
S08:E15 - Episode 15
The contestants are putting the final finishing touches to their bathrooms. Dea and Darren have had a rough week with Darren being sick. Ayden and Jess’s bathroom is a little unfinished and Jess isn’t happy with their finished product. Its a mad scramble for Jess and Ayden but the other three teams are sitting pretty, taking their time to style their rooms, and even go out for breakfast. Darren develops pneumonia and goes to hospital so Dea heads to HQ alone. John McGrath, Shaynna and Neale have judged this week’s bathrooms. Josh and Charlotte are first for judging. The judges like the simplicity but also think the bathroom is sophisticated. The clean and simple items help show off the more beautiful items such as the tap. John likes the stucco but worries that the grey may date over time. Neale likes the round mirror but John doesn’t. John does think its going to appeal to young professional couples. Tim and Anastasia’s bathroom impresses the judges. John and Neale think T and A have responded well to the negative comments from last week. They’ve gone in a new direction and Shaynna is impressed with their storage. Neale likes the black fittings and John thinks their style will appeal to the South Yarra buyer. The judges were lost for words in Ayden and Jess’s bathroom. They all feel that the hexagonal tiles have been over used. Neale says the impact has been lost and he doesn’t like the sink. Shaynna doesn’t like the colour of the timber, and Shaynna thinks some of the lighting isn’t needed. John likes the timber deck in the shower floor and Shaynna likes the niche in the shower. They also work out that the shutter above the shower can’t open, which means they can’t open the bathroom in the window. Dea and Darren are next and the judges love the glamourous feeling in the bathroom. The tiles are bold and Neale and Shaynna love them. John loves the different zones in the room but Shaynna doesn’t love the double shower, and thinks that the screens are too short and that the floors will get wet. Neale feels that Dea and Darren are great bathroom designers. Charlotte and Josh - Shaynna 7.5, John 8.5, Neale 8.5 = 24.5. Tim and Anastasia - Shaynna 8.5, John 8.5, Neale 9 = 26. Ayden and Jess - Shaynna 6.5, John 6.5, Neale 7.5 = 21. Dea and Daz - Shaynna 9, John 9, Neale 9.5 = 26.5 (-1 from the challenge). Next week, the teams will need to deliver their second bedrooms. And the teams head back to judge and vote on each other’s rooms. Scotty wants the scores to be fair and genuine.
S08:E16 - Episode 16
Tonight the teams being work on their second bedrooms, and the start of a new day means its hard for some teams to get out of bed. Dea has gone to see Darren in hospital, he’s got double pneumonia. Their builder Andy has taken over supervising their build. Ayden and Jess are sleeping in, they even sleep through the usual morning wake up from the producers. Tim and Anastasia know they need to bring their best for the second bedroom, especially after their disastrous efforts in the first bedroom. Anastasia has chosen seagrass wallpaper again, despite what Dea thinks. Ayden and Jess aren’t feeling confident this week and their second bedroom is very small, due to the fact they took space from this room for their separate toilet last week. Jess isn’t sure exactly what she wants and Carpet Court arrive bright and early for a decision on this week’s flooring. Charlotte and Josh are also planning something special. They haven’t won any rooms yet so they’re hoping for a win this week. Josh is doing the lighting plan and this week they’re aiming for a relaxed beach look but Charlotte is struggling with a colour scheme for the room, especially the carpet and window furnishings. Dan gets in and helps out Josh, doing his best bricklaying. Andy can’t get in touch with Dea - he needs her to make some decisions on the layout of the second bedroom. There’s plenty of demolition going on, Josh has a wall in the middle of his second bedroom but the adjacent wall has been completed recently and this means Josh can’t demolish the wall he needs to get started in the bedroom. Keith and Dan are holding Josh up and the brick layers have gone home. Dea arrives back on site and she has a plan, and her and Andy get measuring. The teams head to HQ and meet Scotty and Shelley. They hear what the buyers advocates think of the renovations so far, they’ve scored the rooms. These scores will be combined with each others scores and the winning team will be determined, taking home $5000 cash and a bonus prize every week. This week its a Dyson pack worth $1700. The buyers advocates go through all the completed bathrooms and they’re impressed with the results. They don’t agree with the judges on all the rooms, favouring Ayden and Jess’s bathroom. But Dea and Darren are the overall winners once again, taking out the $5000 win. Anastasia and Tim aren’t happy with the judges comments not being the same as the buyers advocates. They’re confused about the mixed messages and aren’t sure who to listen to. Anastasia feels the pressure and hasn’t been feeling herself. Forty Winks opens especially for the teams so that some of the teams can choose their bedding. Jess receives an invitation to meet Neale Whitaker in Sydney for some mentoring at some of his favourite shops.
S08:E17 - Episode 17
Tonight the teams are trying to progress with their second bedrooms, but for Josh its more of a struggle because of a brick wall that hasn’t been completed in his apartment. Jess goes to Sydney and meets Neale Whitaker for a shopping trip, to help out with her styling for this week’s bedroom. Dea is also flying solo with Darren still in hospital. So her builder Andy has taken the reigns and is forging ahead with battening out the flooring in the bedroom. Tim and Anastasia’s new builder is also working hard, their walls are taking shape and Tim is standing by, impressed by their efforts. Jess enjoys some good advice from Neale. He advises pattern and colour is small doses, and also bringing in just one main or “hero” item in each room. Jess likes some pendants that Neale shows her and decides they’ll be the hero in her room this week. She asks Neale about floor coverings and Neale advises on a big good quality, neutral coloured rug. He also advises that Jess chooses art pieces that she loves. He also tells Jess to hang the artwork at eye level. Anastasia is going for a dark and moody look this week with seagrass wallpaper. Charlotte goes shopping for a rug that will stand out in their bedroom. She and Josh feel a little intimidated by the other couples who have all renovated before. The young couple have decided to make their master suite much bigger. He’s going to move the ensuite and study, with the approval from Julian the architect. As usual, in the middle of a week of renovating, the contestants receive a text telling them to head to Bendigo. The teams arrive at Jimmy Possum headquarters in Bendigo where they meet Scotty. The challenge is set. Dea is alone as Darren is still in hospital. The teams will have to design and build a bed and bed head using bright fabrics from the Jimmy Possum studio. It needs to be used in one of their bedrooms. Anastasia has already ordered her bed for the next bedroom so she’s not too happy! Dea learns that she’s getting some help from fore boy Dan! He’ll be her partner for the day’s challenge. They will all have five hours to build their beds and bed heads. The judges will be the entire Possum family, the winners will take home $5000 and a bespoke arm chair covered in the fabric of their choice. So the teams get moving on their designs, Dea takes a long time to choose her fabrics. Jess and Ayden take just a few minutes to choose their fabrics and stain colour, so do Charlotte and Josh. Dea ends up with leopard print fabric for her bed head. In the last fifteen minutes Josh and Charlotte realise their bed has been put together incorrectly. They fix it just in time. The Possum family is impressed with all the efforts and love the use of colour in some of the bed heads. They give the win to Dea and Dan - the leopard print was the winning move!
S08:E18 - Episode 18
The teams wake up the morning after their challenge in their brand new Jimmy Possum beds in Bendigo. Its Dea’s birthday and Ayden surprises her with a cake. The teams all head back to the Block and Anastasia and Dea drive back in the same car, and after all the wallpaper talk, there’s not much discussion in the car! Anastasia is forced to re-think their bedroom design now that they have to use their Jimmy Possum bed. Darren arrives back on site and he’s pleased with all the progress that Andy has made. Keith and Dan help Darren out by lifting his mattress delivery up to the apartment. Scotty and Shelley have a look at all the progress so far. Scotty says he doesn’t like Jess’s choice of artwork, saying it looks like dirty wet render! Josh and Charlotte have their shutters installed and Scotty loves their rendered walls. They’re not putting their challenge bed into their room this week. Darren and Dea show Shelley a photo of their completed bed head and the leopard print is a surprise for Shelley. The $5000 cash prize will help with their room design this week, they’ve got high end finishes everywhere. Tim and Anastasia have re-designed their room, and there will be seagrass wallpaper. Tim gets busy painting but decides not to paint all night. With just 24 hours before reveal everyone has plenty of painting to do. There are fiddly window frames to paint this week and Anastasia has a brilliant idea of finding out if their paint can be applied using a spray can. The wallpaper goes up in Deanne’s room and Anastasia waits for her wallpaper to arrive from Queensland. Darren’s carpet layers arrive but they clash with the wallpaper installers. The wallpaper installer isn’t happy but he lets the carpet go in first even though he’s already set up and ready to go. Ayden and Jess’s furniture arrives for their bedroom and Ayden loves the bedside tables. Jess isn’t happy about the redness of the timber. Charlotte does her very best painting, she’s hoping to impress the judges. But Anastasia’s spray can idea has been a stroke of genius! They’re turning an eight hour job into a one hour job! Keith and Dan are impressed. They need to seal their walls before the wallpaper can go on but Tim didn’t know this so now the wallpaper installer will be delayed. He also tells them they won’t have enough wallpaper for all their walls. They decide to paint some of the walls and wallpaper the rest.
S08:E19 - Episode 19
Tonight the teams complete their second bedrooms. They head to Scotty’s HQ to hear feedback from the judges. It’s their third room and they still have seven rooms to go! Josh and Charlotte and Tim and Anastasia are the two teams that haven’t won a room. The pressure is on for these two teams to win a room. Dea and Darren won the challenge, with some help from Dan. They have also won the power of the chalk and can take a point off one team. They decide to take a point off Tim and Anastasia. Shaynna, Neale and Darren judged the rooms. First they look at Josh and Charlotte’s room. Shaynna doesn’t like the unmade bed but Darren loves it. Neale loves the colour palette and Charlotte didn’t want to change her palette to fit in the Jimmy Possum bed head. So now they’ll be forced to use it in their master bedroom which Charlotte isn’t keen on. Shaynna loves the lighting plan and thinks they’ve got their confidence back, but the paint work on the windows is terrible. Tim and Anastasia’s room is next for judging. Darren was blown away by the use of the grass cloth wallpaper, he’s not sure what to make of the use of the wallpaper in two apartments. Anastasia has replicated Darren’s mentor room. The couple has taken a lot of Darren’s elements for their room and Anastasia’s been busy reading Darren’s book. All three judges love the room, especially the perfect finish on the window frames. Ayden and Jess’s room doesn't impress the judges as much as Tim and Anastasia’s room. Darren likes the flooring, Shaynna likes the rug but they all think the room is too stark and white. Neale likes the pendant lights that he helped Jess choose, but the lights are hung too high. The bed head is the challenge bed head and this changed the focal point of the room. The wardrobe is too small and the bedside tables are too big. Dea and Darren’s room causes controversy when Neale loves whole room, especially the leopard print bed head but Shaynna hates it. Darren agrees with Neale. Shaynna also hates the wall lights and the judges continue to disagree, so much so that Shaynna questions Neale’s taste. The scores are added up and the winners are Tim and Anastasia - they’re thrilled to win their first room! Tim and Anastasia - Darren 9, Shaynna, 9, Neale 9 (-1) = 26. Darren and Dea - Darren 9, Shyanna 7.5, Neale 9 = 25.5. Josh and Charlotte - Darren 8.5, Shaynna 8, Neale 8 = 24.5. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8, Shaynna 7, Neale 7.5 = 22.5. Scotty tells the teams that they’ll be renovating their laundries, cellars, and powder rooms. Scotty’s saying two rooms, the teams are saying three!
S08:E20 - Episode 20
After the second bedroom reveal at Scotty’s HQ the contestants are finding it hard to move on to the next week of renovating. They’ve got to renovate their cellars, laundries and powder rooms but they all enjoy a sleep in before work gets started. Keith’s builders are transforming the ground floors, turning part of the floor into parking for two cars. The laundries and cellars are on the ground floor too. Darren and Tim decide on a glass door for their cellar. Josh and Charlotte organise cavity sliding doors for their small space. They’re cutting their cellar in half to make it a cellar and storage room. All of the apartments have planned to have laundry chutes but the location of some of the chutes on the floor plans isn’t working for all of the apartments. Darren works out that the floor waste doesn’t even sit in their laundry so Keith and his builders need to get involved. There’s been a mistake with the set out of Darren and Dea’s plumbing pipes. He apologies and promises to fix it. Ayden wants to change plans for a storage space big enough for an additional car, meaning the buyers could potentially park three cars underneath their apartment. The buyer’s advocates, Frank, Nicole and Greville all arrive to judge the second bedrooms. Shelley shows them around. Then the contestants meet Scotty and Shelley back at HQ to hear their feedback and scores. The winners of this judging, combined with The Block jury will receive $5000 cash and a 120 bottle wine fridge. The buyer’s advocates gave the second bedroom win to Tim and Anastasia, with 24.5. With the scores combined the winners this week are Charlotte and Josh, with a total of 48 points. It’s their first win and they’re happy to win some money! Josh has only got the building’s exterior walls to work with to create his powder room. Dea isn’t happy with Anastasia’s wallpaper choice, especially after her and Tim won the room. She complains to the girls at Beaumont Tiles at the same time that Anastasia is there choosing her tiles.
S08:E21 - Episode 21
The three room week continues, but today is the last day for the teams to adjust their kitchen plans. Some of the teams want to move their kitchens so today is the day to do this. Jess and Ayden took their tradesmen out for dinner and the three of them all stayed the night - three of them in the same bed. Dea and Darren have the smallest apartment so to even it up they’re getting an extension that will become their dining roo. Today, the extension is happening, and their flooring and walls will be done by tomorrow. Tim and Anastasia have a secret weapon this week. Some people think it is a stereo, but it’s a room conditioner, keeping your wine at the perfect temperature. Dea and Darren have an argument about the taps in their powder room. She’s chosen wall hung taps but the wall they’re going in is structural and they don’t want to chase the wall out for taps. Dea says she already had the all clear from Darren but he and the tradesmen don’t remember. The people at Reece tell Dea to drill a hole into the vanity that they already have! A win for Dea, who organised the whole thing. A new day and the teams head outside to discover a random well on the footpath. The teams head to Mentone for a charity challenge. They meet the CEO of Make a Wish Australia and Scotty and discover that, around the world, every 22 minutes a wish is granted. Today the teams are meeting two fans of the block, Casper and Caitlyn, who have both survived childhood cancer. Their wish is to have a bedroom makeover. The teams are divided into two. Apartments one and two are team Casper, and teams three and four are team Caitlyn. Each team has $6000 and six hours to complete the challenge. The winning team will get $6000 to split and the chalk for judging, they’ll be able to take a point of one team at Scotty’s HQ. As an extra challenge Scotty tells the teams they’ll have to make over two extra rooms, one each for Casper’s and Caitlyn’s siblings! The teams get to work. Casper wants bunk bed with a spiral staircase. They find one on Gumtree but have to drive all the Sassafras, on the other side of Melbourne. Josh tells them they’ll be there to pick the bed up within the hour. But he and Tim shop for paint and hardware then Tim heads to collect the bed with just three hours before the room is due. Josh is left on his own to paint while Anastasia and Charlotte go shopping. Team Caitlyn is going well, Ayden and Darren working well together. Michael and Carlene arrive with their two children to judge the completed rooms. They choose team Casper. Tim and Anastasia and Josh and Charlotte share in the $6000 prize and the power of the chalk at the next HQ.
S08:E22 - Episode 22
Josh wakes up on a new day very happy about his Make A Wish Challenge. And Tim and Anastasia is very happy that they’ll have the power to take a point off one team this week. Scotty and Shelley arrive and the two winning teams tell them they’ll take a point off Dea and Darren on reveal day. Keith returns back to The Block after having a few days off after his mum died. Dan shows Keith what’s been happening on site while he’s been away. Anastasia’s tiler has used black splash back tiles instead of white, and he pulls off the black tiles. The Good Guys kitchen installer arrives to take a look at the laundry spaces. He and the tiler argue about how much time it’s going to take to tile and then install the cabinetry. Ayden and Jess are progressing well in their laundry, they’ve hired some extra help and they’re spending some time with their kids, taking them on a trip to the Melbourne Aquarium. Dea and Darren are the only couple who are putting in a laundry shute. But it’s not going to be easy and Darren has drilled his hole from the top floor in the wrong spot. Keith and Dan want him to the shute have a slight kink in it to work around the structural walls but Darren is reluctant. Tim and Anastasia are planning an impressive 500 bottle cellar and they’ve increased the size of their powder room. And the laundry will be glamorous too. Josh has cut back on tradesmen this week and its made his workload very stressful. Dea’s sister arrives with an old wine barrel for the D’s to use in their wine cellar this week. Keith and Dan check on the wet areas to make sure there is enough fall on their floors. Daz and Dea’s powder room floor hasn’t got enough fall and Keith tells Daz he’ll need to pull the flooring up. Daz’s tiler doesn’t think they need floor waste but Dan and Keith disagree. They also check the completed bathroom upstairs and discover the same problem. Darren tells them he’ll deal with it another day. Darren and Keith come to an agreement. Keith tells Darren he can reveal the powder room as is and then pull up ten tiles after reveal and fix the flooring problem. Tim and Anastasia have a door problem too. Tim’s design has caused problems and the door into the cellar is swinging the wrong way. Josh and Charlotte have a custom made timber wine rack that Josh is happy with. Keith thinks it doesn’t hold enough bottles.
S08:E23 - Episode 23
Its reveal day for the laundries, powder rooms and cellars. Ayden stayed up all night getting their rooms finished. Dea hasn’t slept, she’s happy with their cellar that Darren designed. Josh is stressing and is struggling to get the job done. Josh and Charlotte have filled their wine bottles with water so that they could afford to fill their cellar with bottles of something! Ayden and Jess have spent around $500 on wine for the cellar but the All Stars Dea and Darren thought they could borrow wine and return it after reveal. Dea has since learnt that the wine is worth $5000 retail and that the supplier will give it to them for $3000. Dea is hoping to negotiate for $2,500. Daz doesn’t like that idea. Dea will have to talk Darren into it, but Darren only wants to spend $1000 on wine. If they only spend $1000 on wine, the D’s will have to take a good few bottles out of the cellar before reveal. Tim is still asleep but Anastasia needs him up to help her out with some jobs for reveal. All the teams complete their rooms and they head to Scotty’s HQ for feedback and judging. Josh and Charlotte are first up. The judges like their powder room, its simple and elegant. They like the basin and the taps. In the laundry, Shaynna likes the laminate in the laundry and Neale thinks there’s everything you’d like. In the cellar they like the lighting, the wine fridge and Neale likes the storage room. In Tim and Anastasia’s room, the judges are impressed with how far the couple have come. They all like the finishes in the laundry and powder room. They’re very impressed with the climate controlled cellar, and Shaynna loves the wine storage. Ayden and Jess’s powder room gets a tick from the judges, they all like the ceiling light, saying it looks like a skylight. In the laundry, they like the timber and the different choice of splash back tiles. In the cellar Darrren hates the bench and stools, but Neale likes the room and the idea of the bench and stools. Darren calls it a step back into the mid 90’s and Shaynna says its not luxurious enough. Dea and Darren’s powder room wows the judges. They love the consistency, the tiles and the styling on the shelf. In the laundry Shaynna is very excited about the laundry shute that Neale discovers. They also like the small storage room next door. The wine cellar impresses all the judges, they can’t believe the quality of the room. But Shaynna thinks its not a proper wine cellar without climate control. Charlotte and Josh - Darren 9, Shaynna 9, Neale 9 = 27. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 9, Shaynna 9, Neale 9 = 27. Ayden and Jess - Darren 7.5, Shaynna 8, Neale 7.5 = 23. Dea and Darren - Darren 9, Shaynna 9, Neale 9.5 = 27.5. D and D take out the win by half a point. Charlotte and Josh tied second and really want a room win!
S08:E24 - Episode 24
The teams get started on living and dining room week. There’s plenty to do and they are first areas that buyers see as they enter the apartments. Ayden and Jess need a win and so do Josh and Charlotte, who haven’t yet had a room win. They’re planning on a fireplace with cabinetry surround. Josh and Charlotte are also planning a fireplace. Anastasia goes shopping for high end items for the living dining room. She gets the go-ahead to spend $20,000 on furniture alone! Dea and Darren’s dining room ceiling height is in question. They’ve swapped their kitchen and dining room around on their floor plan and the ceiling heights in the two rooms are different. In the kitchen it can be as low as 2.1 metres. In the dining room, two-thirds of the room needs to have a height of 2.4 m. Dan tells Darren he’ll need to put different bulkheads in to make his best attempt at most of the room being 2.4 metres. The Blockheads go to HQ to get feedback from the judges and the buyers jury. The prize is $5000 cash plus a 78 inch curved LED TV, valued at around $10,000. The buyers advocates didn’t love the cellar in Josh and Charlotte’s apartment, saying it wasn’t big enough. They love the cellar and powder room in Tim and Anastasia’s apartment. They also scored points for the washer/dryer combination. In Ayden and Jess’s apartment the buyers advocates liked the tiles, Josh called them “bling bling”. But in the cellar they felt like the room was missing something. In the laundry the buyers advocates loved the air dryer. Ayden had never heard of one, being from Queensland. Dea and Darren’s cellar gets a big wow for the buyers advocates. They are very impressed with the quality and all the wine of course. Tim and Anastasia think it should have a wine conditioner. Ayden wants a wine audit to find out how much the wine cost Dea and Darren. Charlotte and Josh - T and A 5, A and J 8, D and D 8.5, Buyers 20.5 = 42. Tim and Anastasia - C and J 8, A and J 8, D and D 9, Buyers 25.5 = 50.5. Ayden and Jess - C and J 7, T and A 6, D and D 8.5, Buyers 23 = 44.5. Dea and Daz - C and J 2, T and A 5, Ayden and Jess 1.5, Buyers 26.5 = 35. So Tim and Anastasia take out the jury win.
S08:E25 - Episode 25
Living and dining room week gets into full swing. Darren Palmer has been mentoring Jess and now that the plans have changed, Ayden isn’t happy. The TV that they originally chose is too big and Jess doesn’t want it in the centre of the wall with nothing around it. So Ayden tries to re-plan to house a smaller TV and some shelving either side. Dea and Darren’s kitchen swap has caused some problems with the building inspector. The D’s made the decision to move their kitchen with very little research and as a result the ceiling height in their new dining area isn’t going to be high enough. The ceiling height in kitchens doesn’t need to be as high as in dining areas and this is something Darren and Dea didn’t consider when they changed the floor plan. Tim and Anastasia try and fit in their enormous new TV from the jury win. Anastasia also commissions an artwork from Megan Weston, one of her favourite artists. She’s got to get the size 100% right and they decide not to have a TV, in favour of their artwork. Josh and Charlotte are planning rendered walls, hardwood floors, and leather sofas. Charlotte goes shopping with some of their vouchers to try and save some money. Ayden and Jess also have ceiling height issues. They need to have two-thirds of the ceiling heights at 2.4m high. Ayden misunderstood the requirements and has to remove the ceiling. Josh has made sure to double check his ceiling heights before his tradesmen start work. Jess goes shopping and tries to use some of the tips that Darren gave her yesterday. Julian Brenchley the architect arrives. He says if the teams are going to change the design they’ll need to think about all the implications that the changes bring. Julian tells Darren that he has bought the problem on themselves. Julian thinks that Darren and Dea haven’t thought the situation through. Anastasia and Tim change their mind about the TV once again and decide to put one in instead of the artwork in its place. Its Challenge Day and the teams meet Scotty at Rokeby Studios. The teams must think about their buyers and who they are. The teams meet models, all dressed in different styles. There’s a country look, industrial look, minimal Scandinavian and coastal Hamptons look. The challenge is to make these models feel at home, creating appropriate living spaces. A photographer will take photos of their spaces and Neale Whitaker will judge the best photo. The winner will receive $5000 and the chalk, where they can take a point away from one team. Tim and Anastasia choose industrial, Josh and Charlotte choose country. Jess says her and Ayden will do Scandi and Dea and Darren want Coastal/Hamptons. Neale is impressed with all the efforts but he awards the $5000 to Ayden and Jess. He thinks their photo encapsulates the look best. They also get a massage and a night at the Lyall Hotel.
S08:E26 - Episode 26
Towards the end of living and dining room week, the teams are tired and finding it hard to get out of bed! Ayden and Jess have enjoyed a night away from The Block after spending a night at The Lyall Hotel. Ayden is energised after his night away and is going to be spending the day making his cabinetry. Its Charlotte’s 25th birthday and Josh heads out for a bunch of flowers. Jess wants to change the ceiling in the living and dining area but Ayden isn’t keen. He changes it anyway to suit what Jess wants. Jess receives some furniture that she’s ordered online but the problem is that it doesn’t fit around the scaffolding and into their apartment. Anastasia shops for furniture and accessories for the living room. She’s been changing her mind with everything, except the wallpaper! Scotty and Shelley arrive for a walk through all the apartments. Dea and Darren explain why they decided to move their kitchen. Dea says she moved the floor plan to get a good sized kitchen. Darren tells Scotty and Shelley that they’re not going to finish this week. Scotty thinks that they’re taking a big risk. Tim and Anastasia are also faced with ceiling issues. And Shelley gives them some advice on their finishes. She thinks that Anastasia’s choice of wallpaper will make the room too busy. Ayden and Jess can’t get their sofa up to their apartment. Josh and Charlotte don’t have ceiling issues and they’re in good shape when Scotty and Shelley see their room progress. Scotty is impressed with their choice of solid timber floors. Charlotte goes shopping for Aboriginal artworks for her living and dining area. Anastasia goes shopping for a huge floor rug for her living room. Chris and Jenna pay a visit to The Block and pop in to see Dea and Darren. They all have a laugh about not finishing their terrace and still winning plenty of money on auction day! Jess collects the rug that was custom made for her after the Rug Rats Challenge. Her rug has been custom made by Designer Rugs and she’s hoping that the rug will fit and that the colours on the rug will look good in her living room.
S08:E27 - Episode 27
Tonight it’s living and dining room reveal and as usual the teams are frantically trying to get their rooms completed in time for room reveal. Darren and Dea aren’t going to finish their dining room ceiling, due to all the height confusion this week. It has been a stressful week for Tim and Anastasia who are trying to impress the judges and at the last minute, Anastasia decides to remove the wallpaper she’s had her heart set on all week. They have a long night due to their indecision and Anastasia changing her mind. Ayden and Jess’s floor is a little un-even and their windows don’t shut! But they’re seeing the funny side of things. Charlotte and Josh are stressed, mainly because they haven’t slept. At tools down they’re all so tired but they’re glad another week is over and another two rooms have been delivered. They head to Scotty’s HQ for feedback from the judges and to learn who will take home the $10,000 from AMP. Josh and Charlotte are first up. The judges love the smell of the timber in their apartment. They love the solid timber floors. Neale loves the feeling and the simplicity that the room has. They all love the dining chairs, and it passed Neale’s dinner party test! In the living room they love the home automation and the leather sofa. They also love the chairs and the coffee table. Neale would happily have all the pieces in his own home. Tim and Anastasia are next up. Neale’s first impression is good but they quickly change when Shaynna says their dining room is daggy. Darren is very concerned by the ceiling. The bulkhead for the air conditioner feels very oppressive to all the judges. Shaynna thinks the buffet needs an artwork and says she doesn't even want to be in the room. Neale does like the pendants. In the living room, they feel like the artworks are too much. The feeling is that there’s too much in the room. Tim and Anastasia are happy with their room and don’t really know what to say. Ayden and Jess are next up. Neale likes their Scandi style and thinks the dining table is classy. They also all love the little dog artwork as well as the pendants. In the living room they think the space is too busy. Neale thinks some items just need to be removed. There’s too much visual clutter in the room. Darren thinks that the layout is good. Darren and Dea’s room surprises the judges with their lack of ceiling! Shaynna thinks its been a bad move for this couple to change their dining room. It would have been much better used as a kitchen and Darren and Neale agree with Shaynna. They do like the living room though. They all like the floorboards, sofa and think the perfect fireplace for this space. Neale loves the simplicity. Josh and Charlotte - Darren 8, Shaynna 8.5, Neale 8.5 (-1) = 24. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 7, Shaynna 7, Neale 7 = 21. Ayden and Jess - Darren 7, Shaynna 7, Neale 8 = 22. Dea and Darren - Darren 6.5. Shaynna 5, NEale 6.5 = 18. So Josh and Charlotte win their first room! They are so excited and are in need of the $10,000 cash. Now the teams must start work on their Ensuite bathrooms, after they go and inspect and judge each others completed living and dining rooms.
S08:E28 - Episode 28
Its the first day of Ensuite week and Josh and Charotte are adamant they’re going to have a good week. They’ve planned their week out with a schedule that they’re sending out to all their tradesmen. After such bad feedback from the judges in last night’s judging, Tim and Anastasia decide to remain positive about their rooms, and hope that the buyers advocates like what they have done. Dea and Darren’s ensuite is the same floor plan and layout as their other bathroom. Tim and Anastasia is only 5 square metres so they’re meticulously planning how they can fit in a bath this week. If they don’t include a bath this week, their apartment won’t have a bath. Charlotte and Josh have swapped their study and ensuite to ensure they’ve got enough room for a bath. The mess in Dea and Darren’s dining area is still in a mess. Darren is blaming the building code, then blames Dea on changing the plan. Then he is blaming the plumber and then the architect. Dea and Darren simply don’t want to take responsibility for the mess that is the dining room ceiling. Tim and Antastasia want to swap their rooms around too, so that they can include a bath. Josh and Charlotte are faced with problems when they want to block some of their bathroom window in their ensuite. The teams head to HQ to hear feedback from Scotty and Shelley about what the buyers advocates think of their rooms. The buyers advocates like the dining room in Josh and Charlotte’s apartment. The dining chairs get a big tick and so do the floorboards. They also love the fireplace. In Tim and Anastasia’s dining room, they all like the furniture and lighting choices, but the waste trap box plastered in is a deal breaker for the buyers advocates. The other teams and the buyers advocates really like the living room and think the judges have been very harsh in the judging. In Ayden and Jess’s apartment, the low lying coffee table and the fireplace don’t score them points with the other teams. Darren gets his level out to discover that the bulkhead, fireplace and air con ducting isn’t level. Dea and Darren’s living room gets good feedback but there’s not so much good feedback when they discover the dining room ceiling. Frank thinks the dining table should have been bigger and the buyers advocates agree that the ceiling is going to be too low, and cheapen the area. Tim and Anastasia win the jury and buyers advocates vote and take home the $7000 prize. Charlotte and Josho - T and A 5, A and J 1.5, D and D 1.5 Buyers 22 = 30. Tim and Anastasia - C and J 7, A and J 7, Dea and D 1 Buyers 24 = 39. Ayden and Jess - C and J 8, T and A 7, D and D 1 Buyers 21 = 37. Dea and Darren - C and J 6, T and A 5.5, A and J 5 Buyers 18 = 34.5
S08:E29 - Episode 29
Its ensuite week and all the teams are exhausted. They must begin planning their stairs. Darren has demolished all the prep for the dining room and kitchen and must start all over again. Tim and Antastasia are feeling the pinch with only one room win under their belt. So Anastasia heads out shopping to return some of the items they have purchased that she hasn’t used. She’s hoping to come home with almost $4000 cash from shopping returns! Ayden and Jess have calculated they’ll have around $50,000 left after this week and Ayden is happy with the budget. Dea meets Julian the architect to talk through all the repercussions of moving their kitchen. Julian tries to solve some problems that Dea has created by changing the plans. The pantry is now smaller to create a bigger dining room and the kitchen now also has to be reconfigured. Julian thinks its unnecessary for Darren and Dea to have a butlers pantry, he thinks they’re only really necessary in a large property. Josh and Charlotte’s beautiful basins and bath arrives on site. Ayden’s waterproofed floor in the ensuite has been trashed by the tradesmen going in and out of the bathroom. They now need another coat. Josh and Charlotte are ready for waterproofing and feel like they’re on track. The next morning it’s the half way point in the competition, and the teams wake to a text from Scotty. They must all head to Coburg for a challenge. They have the chance to win $6000 and the chalk, to take a point off one team on judging day in a challenge where its all about first impressions. Two houses side by side will have makeovers on their facades. There are two teams, with special guest leaders, Dale and Dave Franklin. Dale chooses Darren and Dea. Dave chooses Tim and Anastasia, Dale chooses Ayden and Jess and Dave obviously chooses Josh and Charlotte. The teams have eight hours to transform the fronts of the properties. Our buyers advocates Frank, Greville and Nicole will arrive at the end of the day to choose a winner. The Green Team lead by Dave will put in a pathway as well as planting a whole new garden and painting the facade. Dale’s yellow team will plant natives, a water feature and new gate. With just seven hours Josh decides to build a brand new deck. It isn’t long before the builders back at the block are calling the contestants to inform them that the waterproofing in their ensuite isn’t right. Josh and Charlotte and Dea and Darren are first to be informed. Dee and Jess go shopping together but the boys are very happy when the arrive back at the challenge, they need all hands on deck to get the job done. The Green Team have taken on too much work, and the idea of a deck has put the team under too much stress. Scotty helps Josh get the decking right. Anastasia isn’t happy about the decision to build a deck. Scotty tells the team leaders they only have another half an hour to complete the gardens. They’re both struggling to finish to Scotty gives them another half hour.
S08:E30 - Episode 30
The challenge continues today with the extra hour that Scotty offered the team captains at the end of the day! The yellow team gets busy planting and completing their water feature. Dea does her best hustling when she chases up plants they’re waiting on. Anastasia isn’t happy about the deck that Josh spent so much time on. She thinks building the deck has been a waste of time. It’s a crazy race to the finish as the teams battle to finish the gardens. The buyers jury Frank, Nicole and Greville arrive to judge the challenge and pick a winner. First they look at the green team. Frank likes the pathway and the decking and the new garden. Nicole thinks they’ve added great street appeal. The judges also like what the yellow team have achieved. Greville likes that they’ve used Australian natives, Nicole thinks they’ve added street appeal and likes the wire fence. Nicole announces the winner is the Green Team. They will share in $6000 prize money. Tim and Anastasia and Josh and Charlotte are so happy. In the morning, they will have to tell Scotty who the point is taken from. Back at The Block, the teams are faced with all the waterproofing delays and working out how to fix them. Josh and Charlotte have their waterproofing done overnight but Keith is worried that the job is a little rough. Keith also isn’t happy with the mess in Josh’s apartment. Jess tells Keith they’ve received an electrician’s bill for $6000 and she's not happy, neither is Keith. He offers to help out Jess, by talking to the electrician but Jess says thanks but no thanks. Tim and Anastasia have problems with their glass shower screens, they don’t line up and Keith and Dan say they can’t change their shower screens at this late stage. They could change the wall that the shower screen is attached to but time isn’t on their side. Scotty and Shelley arrive on site for the weekly tour of The Block, to check on progress and give everyone a pep talk.
S08:E31 - Episode 31
Tonight the ensuite bathrooms are delivered. There is so much to do to complete the rooms. Darren and Dea have spent the night with the girls watching movies. Jess and Ayden are happy with their progress. Ayden’s custom made vanity is in place, he’s happy with how it looks. The bath for Ayden and Jess’s bathroom is large and it’s tricky for them to get the bath into The Block. Ayden wants to adjust the scaffolding to fit it in but Keith says he’ll have to find another way. Tim is trying to get their $4000 bath up into the apartment. He’s going to buy cartons of beer for all the heavy lifters that will help him lift the bath up to his apartment. Ayden negotiates some beer for Keith and Dan if they help him with the bath for their apartment. Everyone’s got their eye on the $10,000 prize this week. The teams finish their bathrooms and head to HQ to get feedback from Scotty. In Josh and Charlotte’s bathroom the judges are very impressed. They love the black and white bath and the matching basins. Darren loves the luxurious feeling they’ve created. They love the timber vanity but would all like to see it as storage, rather than just a timber feature. Shaynna says there isn’t one think she doesn’t like. In Tim and Anastasia’s ensuite Neale likes the TV, saying he likes TVs in bathrooms when he goes to hotels. They all like the bathroom when they first walk in but on closer inspection they realise that the finishes aren’t ideal. The silicone and paint job isn’t complete. Shaynna wants to see more face level storage. Next for judging is Ayden and Jess’s bathroom. All the judges like the flooring and the TV as well as the bath. Neale thinks they’ve been very clever but Shaynna thinks there are too many elements and too many hero pieces. Shaynna doesn't like how the vanity works with the flooring and the timber shower base. Dea and Darren are next up. The judges love the layout and the floor plan, it’s the same as the downstairs bathroom, where Dea and Darren have been onto a winning formula. Neale and Darren love the tiles in the shower. Shyanna is impressed with the tiling job. They describe the room as relaxed luxury. Darren doesn’t like the placement of the toilet roll holder! And Shaynna doesn't like the width of the shower screens, she thinks they’re too narrow. Charlotte and Josh take home their first win! They win $10,000 with their ensuite bathroom and they’re very happy! Charlotte and Josh - Darren 9.5, Shyanna 9.5, Neale 9.5 = 28.5. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 7.5, Shaynna 7.5, Neale 8 = 23. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8.5, Shaynna 8.5, Neale 8.5 = 25.5. Dea and Darren - Darren 9, Shyanna 9, Neale 9.5 (-1) 26.5. Ayden and Jess focus on the positive, saying that this week has been their best week yet in terms of scoring! Scotty tells the teams this week they’ll be doing their master bedroom and walk in wardrobes.
S08:E32 - Episode 32
Master Bedroom week gets off to a slow start. They’ve got five days to renovate two spaces, the master and the dressing room. There’s not much motivation to get up and renovating! Josh and Charlotte are happy that they’ve had a win and that they have a much needed $10,000 in the bank. Dea and Darren are away from The Block today and Keith is happy, thinking they’ll be no dramas today. The D’s are in Sydney for a Women’s Weekly shoot to celebrate ten years of The Block. They’re being photographed with other Block contestants including Gav and Was, twins Alisa and Lysandra, Brad and Dale, and Phil and Amity. Tim and Anastasia head out for breakfast. Ayden gets busy demolishing in preparation for their new master bedroom to be built. Josh wants his ceiling in the master to have exposed rafters and old trusses. This is a huge job and Keith thinks Josh’s idea will guarantee them of a win. Tim and Anastasia change the design of their Stegbar walk in wardrobe. They’ve kept the Stegbar guys waiting for three hours and it’s no surprise that the Stegbar guys aren’t happy! Dea is designing her dressing room from Sydney at the magazine shoot. The teams head to HQ for the jury and buyers advocates feedback. Josh and Charlotte won last night and the buyers advocates really like the bathroom too. The bathroom is big, bright and a great selling point for the couple. Fellow blockheads also like the bathroom, everything except for the lack of storage in the timber vanity. Dea and Darren are surprised that Shaynna gave them the win this week. In Tim and Anastasia’s bathroom the buyers really like the look of a day spa that has been achieved. The other Blockheads are impressed with the size of the bathroom, Darren and Dea think the towel rail is in the wrong place and that the floor isn’t level. Ayden and Jess’s ensuite gets good feedback from the buyers, who like the separate toilet and the feeling of luxury in the room. In Dea and Darren’s bathroom, the buyers love the seat in the shower. The buyers would like to see a hand held shower and they think that he towel rails are a little far away from the shower. Jess and Ayden don’t like the position of the storage cupboard. Tim and Anastasia think its the same as their other bathroom and feel that and ensuite should look more different. Charlotte and Josho - T and A 4, A and J 1.5, D & D 0 Buyers 24.5 = Total 30. Tim and Anastasia - C and J 8, A and J 7, D and D 0 Buyers 26.5 = Total 41.5. Ayden and Jess - C and J 9, T and A 7, D and D 0 Buyers 25 = Total 41. Dea and Darren - C and J 9.5, T and A 5, A and J 7 Buyers 26.5 = Total 47. Dea and Darren are the winners but the other teams aren't happy. Dea and Darren gave everyone else zeros and the other teams think they’ve played dirty! They’ve won the $5000 jury prize and say that they gave everyone zeros as payback for all the points they’ve had taken away from them with the power of the chalk.
S08:E33 - Episode 33
Everyone’s talking about the heated words exchanged by Anastasia and Dea at HQ last night. Anastasia requests a full wine audit and she and Tim aren’t sure that the $3000 paid for the wine is enough to cover the real cost of 450 bottles of wine, even at 50% off the recommended retail price. They’re going to take it up with Scotty and Shelley. Josh and Charlotte’s huge master bedroom is taking shape. There’s a huge amount of work to expose the rafters. Tim and Anastasia are going glamorous with their master bedroom. They are spending the day with their kids and have left their plasterer Pauley in charge. Josh and Charlotte’s change of plans have meant that their master is more like a retreat instead of just a bedroom. Keith and Dan go through what Josh has planned and Keith decides that they’ll show the architect what Josh wants to do, to make sure that they are allowed to do it. Dea goes shopping for her master suite. Jess and Ayden aren’t happy about Josh and Charlotte’s raked ceiling. Jess wanted to rake the ceilings in their master bedroom and she wishes that they’d decided to do it. Dea and Darren’s air-conditioning pipes need to be moved from the dining room ceiling. There are questions raised about who will pay for the labour to move the pipes. Darren doesn’t want to pay. Tim and Anastasia take their children out for the day to the zoo. Josh has to be inducted once again by Safety Cam. Ayden and Josh played a prank on Keith and Dan when they sealed the door to their office shut with silicone called foam fill. Dan knows its Ayden and Josh when he looks at their hands and sees remnants of the foam fill all over them! Everyone is in need of cash so Scotty arrives to announce its challenge day and a chance to win $5000 and a year’s worth of home and contents insurance with Coles Insurance. They head to an empty apartment block, The Darling, just down the road from The Block where there are one bedroom apartments just about to go on the market. The teams must dress and style a one bedroom apartment. At the end of the day they’ll be open for inspection and the buyers will be arriving at the end of the day to walk through them. The teams will have to cater for the buyers. The winners will also get the chalk to take a point from the team of their choice at HQ. With just one hour to go, Dea and Darren aren’t on site and there’s nothing in their apartment yet! The teams don’t know that one of the buyers is communicating with twins Alisa and Lysandra, who are hiding in the building’s basement with Scotty feeding questions. Alisa and Lysandra announce that the winners are Ayden and Jess.
S08:E34 - Episode 34
It’s the middle of master bedroom and dressing room week, with two and a half days until reveal. The screens and balconies are being installed to the exterior of The Block. Its creating problems for items being delivered to the apartments. Pauley, the plasterer helping out Tim and Anastasia brings his pet goat named Ewie. He’s taken around the site by Pauley and Safety Cam does a special induction just for Ewie the goat! Anastasia goes shopping but finds it hard to choose anything for their room. After the judges feedback Anastasia isn’t sure about how to style their rooms. She’s really demotivated by all the negative feedback. She stumbles across a home wares shop where the sales assistant helps her choose all the items for the master bedroom. Ayden takes a special trip to McCafe to make his very own toasties for his tradesmen. He goes with mayo, ham, cheese and chicken, toasted. Ayden and Jess receive some hand made banksia seed pod goods, delivered especially for their room from Jess’s dad. Tonight there’s an official request for a wine audit, for Darren and Deanne’s huge 450 bottle wine cellar. It happens when Scotty and Shelley arrive to check on everyone’s progress this week. Tim and Anastasia are suspicious that the final amount that was paid for the wine isn’t going to cover the real cost. Ayden and Jess are also a little suspicious and would like an audit. Shelley and Scotty also question whether Charlotte and Josh will be using their Jimmy Possum bed head in the master. Dea and Darren hear of the plans for an audit, they know exactly who has requested the audit and they’re not happy that someone thinks they’re cheating! Keith and Dan shut down Josh and Charlotte’s work site for half an hour because they started work half an hour early today. Ayden finds a crack in his floor slab of the main bedroom. The engineer arrives on site and gives the crack the all clear, saying its probably been there since the building was constructed.
S08:E35 - Episode 35
The race is on to finish the master bedrooms and dressing rooms. Ayden and Jess have had very little money for the room this week, using mostly vouchers supplied by Scotty at the beginning of the series. Josh has been painting his enormous bedroom. Charlotte is painting over their exposed rafters. Dan and Keith are both impressed with the paint job, calling it one of the best bedrooms they’ve ever seen. Dea goes shopping for their bedroom items at Forty Winks. At Scotty’s HQ the teams walk in to discover that Scotty has a gavel this week! He’s going to rule on the wine audit and his decision and judgement is final. Tim puts his case forward and Darren puts his and Dea’s case forward, he does like being accused of cheating. Scotty’s findings have revealed that the retail cost of the wine in Dea and Darren’s cellar was $5,226. Block law states that the contestants can negotiate up to 50% off the recommended retail price which would be $2,663. Dea and Darren spent $3000 so Scotty rules in favour of the defendants. Dea and Darren want to move on. The teams receive their feedback. Josh and Charlotte’s bedroom impresses all three judges, even the painting gets a tick! They all love the exposed beams and think Josh and Charlotte will be hard to beat. They also love the walk in wardrobe, Shaynna especially loves the practicality. In Tim and Anastasia’s bedroom, Shaynna loves the colour choices. Neale likes their gentle and romantic room, saying they’ve grown in confidence. Darren thinks its very saleable but too similar to the previous bedrooms presented by Tim and Anastasia. The judges are divided on the wardrobe doors that open to the walk in dressing room. Neale doesn’t like the laminate, he feels like he’s in a shop. In Jess and Ayden’s apartment, Neale loves the main bedroom and Shaynna feels it’s a younger version of Tim and Anastasia’s apartment. Darren doesn't like the room and thinks it feels more like a second bedroom, not a master bedroom. Neale loves it and wouldn’t change a thing! Dea and Darren are next up, the final room to be judged. The judges all love it, Neale says they’ve nailed it, Darren loves the navy wallpaper. They also like the dressing room, but think it’s a little rough around the edges. Scotty announces that since Josh and Charlotte haven’t put their Jimmy Possum challenge bedhead in their apartments, they’ll be disqualified from judging this week. No one can believe it, they all feel that the punishment of disqualification is very harsh. Ayden and Jess take a point off Dea and Darren once again, after their challenge win this week. Charlotte and Josh - Darren 10, Shaynna 10, Neale 10 = 30. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 8, Shyanna 8.5, Neale 8 = 24.5. Ayden and Jess - Darren 7.5, Shaynna 8, Neale 9 = 24.5. Dea and Darren - Darren 9.5, Shaynna 9, Neale 9.5 (-1) = 27. It’s a huge shock for everyone that Josh and Charlotte receive a perfect 30 out of 30 and they don’t win the $10,000. Dea and Darren win by default but no one is really celebrating.
S08:E36 - Episode 36
Tonight its the start of kitchen week and there’s plenty for everyone to do, they all know the kitchen is probably the most important room in the house to get right. Ayden and Jess need access to their new kitchen area. Dea and Darren’s kitchen build has been delayed due to a flood in the area. The building’s roof hasn’t been sealed in time, so water has seeped through the ceiling and the floors need replacing. Josh and Charlotte are struggling with their budget this week. They’ve spent a third of their entire budget on the living and dining room and Charlotte is ringing around to try and organise to return items that they no longer need. Tim and Anastasia have a problem with their kitchen. Their original design features wall mounted cupboards that cover up north facing windows. The Good Guys have made the couple a back up kitchen, based on one of the original discarded designs. The back up design doesn’t cover up the windows. Now Tim and Anastasia have to decide which kitchen they want to have installed. The Good Guys tell the couple that the second design is the best option, so that the windows aren’t blocked up. Tim and Anastasia ask Julian the architect for his opinion. Josh and Charlotte’s kitchen layout is pretty simple. With no butlers pantry, their design is simple and straight forward, they just need to find the money to pay for it. Jess and Ayden want their air-conditioning ducting moved so that they have a bigger thoroughfare from their terrace through their kitchen. Their air-conditioning tradesman isn’t happy! Dea and Darren argue about their kitchen design. Darren hasn’t listened to Dea or been involved in the planning of the kitchen. Darren has built the bulk heads in the wrong size and it doesn’t suit Dea’s plan for the air-conditioning. Tim and Anastasia decide to go with the suggestion from The Good Guys, and change their kitchen design so that the windows aren’t covered up. The teams head to HQ to hear the jury and buyers advocates scores. Darren and Dea are very impressed with Josh and Charlotte’s master bedroom. Ayden and Jess also love the master suite, Jess thinks it’s the best apartment! Tim doesn’t think the finishes are great, and doesn’t think that they deserved three tens! Ayden doesn’t like the dressing room. In Tim and Anastasia’s master bedroom, buyers advocate Nicole thinks that the room is a bit pedestrian and not good enough for a master. She also didn’t like the walk in, two way wardrobe. In Ayden and Jess’s room, it was obvious to the buyers advocates that the couple have run out of money. They also don’t like the artwork or the choice of rug. The other teams like Jess and Ayden’s room, especially considering they’ve paid for the room largely on vouchers. The buyers advocates also think that there isn’t enough storage in the room. Dea and Darren’s room gets good marks from all the teams. The buyers advocates love the room too. But they don’t like the finishes. The walk in dressing room also gets good marks. The buyers score Josh and Charlotte the highest for the master bedroom, with 26 out of 30. Dea and Darren are second with 24.5 out of 30. Ayden and Jess score 20.5 and Tim and Anastasia score 19.5. Charlotte and Josh - T and A 10, A and J 10, D and D 10 = Total 56. Tim and Anastasia - C and J 5, A and J 0, D and D 5 = Total 29.5. Ayden and Jess - C and J 5, T and A 0, D and D 7 = Total 32.5. Dea and Darren - C and J 5, T and A 0, A and J 1.5 = Total 31. So Josh and Charlotte take out the win, very strategically, with everyone scoring them 10!
S08:E37 - Episode 37
Kitchens arrive onsite for the installation to begin. This day has been a long time coming and the teams need to ensure that their areas are prepped before the kitchens can be installed. Bryce from the Good Guys arrives with his team of installers and there’s pressure on all of the tradesmen to get the areas ready for installation. Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen design has changed and they’re now planning some smoked glass for the splash back and ceiling. Dea and Darren’s open plan kitchen is ready to be installed, and Charlotte and Josh’s kitchen is almost ready to go too. Charlotte is hoping that her decision to go for a simple white kitchen will pay off. Jess is surprised to see their kitchen cabinetry is grey! She thought their cupboards were going to be white, but she’s happy to go with the grey since it will complement what they’ve chosen. Tim and Anastasia have no money left, and can only just pay their tradesmen this week. Darren fights with Dan and Keith about their new ceiling heights and bulkheads in the dining area. Keith and Dan are right and the pipes have been moved to suit Darren’s needs, so they argue that Dea and Darren must pay the air-conditioning bill. Tim and Good Guy installer Bryce don’t see eye to eye. Tim hasn’t prepared his walls enough for Bryce to install cabinetry, he needs a wall sheeted for his cabinetry to fit. Tim refuses to pack out the wall or prep it for Bryce and this news doesn't go down well with Bryce or Keith and Dan. All the teams look ahead to completing The Block and realise that they’ve got so much work to do. Tim is concerned that his space is the biggest and is wondering how they’ll finish the job. Dan and Keith pay Tim a visit and tell him next week will be tough but Tim is concerned they won’t finish. Tim is allowed to start on the stairwell but he gets annoyed when Keith tells him to stop having breakfast and coffees off site. Anastasia is listening from downstairs and she doesn’t like what she’ hears. She storms off site, dropping her phone on her way out. Tim also isn’t happy and wants the cameras off. Anastasia storms off and drives away from The Block, talking to a friend in her car about how offended she that her and Tim and been labelled “lazy”. The exterior of The Block is being rendered, overseen by Matt from The Block Sky High. Pauley and Tim are overwhelmed with the huge amount of work they have to do for the staircases and the remaining rooms due next week, the week after kitchen week. Ayden and Jess go out for dinner and enjoy a night out together. Josh has a sore knee and calls for the doctor. His knee is inflamed and the doctor prescribes Nurofen for the pain! Charlotte thinks Josh is a wimp. As the kitchens progress, Bryce from The Good Guys needs the wall fixed in Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen. Anastasia runs away from The Block to escape for a while and Tim confronts a producer about what Keith has been implying about their work ethic. Anastasia also confronts the producer and she’s not happy that people think they’re being lazy. She’s threatening to walk off the show and Tim has a chat to his wife, without his microphone on.
S08:E38 - Episode 38
Tonight Scotty and the contestants get to fly across Melbourne in a helicopter before they are dropped to the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Josh is so excited and so is Ayden. For Darren it brings back memories of games played here. The teams must make over two of the hospitality suites that are managed by Cricket Australia. There are two teams, with odds vs evens. Charlotte and Josh and Ayden and Jess are Team 1. Dea and Daz and Tim and Anastasia are Team 2. The winning team will receive a tradesmen bill paid for the entire week. There will be a special guest judge to decide the winner. The Good Guys are building some kitchens for the two rooms and the teams have an additional $6000 each for their rooms. Team 1 are quickly named Team Happy, with their enthusiasm and good ideas pouring out for the beginning of the challenge. Team Grumpy next door aren’t getting on. Darren thinks a laser print on the wall would work well but the others prefer memorabilia hung on the walls. Darren and Dea aren’t getting on well at all. Ayden goes to Mitre 10 with a plan and Dea and Anastasia go shopping. Tim and Darren go shopping too for some boys toys for their suite. Anastasia tells Dea that they have no money left and that she was close to leaving the show. Dea tells her to stick at it, they’re almost at the end! Ayden wants to make his own bench tops - and hires all the gear from Kennards then he heads to a workshop to get started. Team Happy Ayden and Jess and Josh and Charlotte are the winners! While the teams are out at their challenge, their kitchens are taking shape back at The Block. Ayden wakes up the next day a little sick, he’s got the man flu! And Jess isn’t sympathetic. Anastasia confronts Keith and Dan about being called lazy. She was really upset about comments made about her and Tim eating breakfast out. Keith apologies but says that she and Tim still need to give a little more effort if they want their rooms to be completed. Scotty arrives to check on progress and give all the teams an encouraging pep talk. Anastasia fills Scotty in with what has happened with their second kitchen design. Scotty tries to come up with a solution to suggest to the couple but Anastasia isn’t happy that they weren’t consulted on their second kitchen design. Scotty explains that there was no conspiracy to change their kitchen design and that the kitchen was re-designed because there was concern that the windows were being blocked off. There are two options. The kitchen can be altered to make it work a little better or they can have a whole new kitchen installed. The Good Guys arrive to resolve the kitchen design for Tim and Anastasia. They decide to adjust the kitchen to try and make it work for reveal.
S08:E39 - Episode 39
There’s just one day until the kitchens are revealed and The Block is quiet. Anastasia is feeling slightly better about her kitchen and she’s smiling a bit more today. But the happiness is short lived when Anastasia decides to take out the mirrored splash back. Dea and Darren’s girls have stayed the night with them onsite. Ayden’s best friend Ryan or “Bondy” has arrived to help out in the kitchen as a labourer. Ayden needs to find some LED strip lighting that is the right colour white. The kitchens are complete and the teams head to HQ as usual to hear feedback from the judges and find out who the winners are. Josh and Charlotte are first up. The first impressions are good and there are plenty of wows at first. Neale was expecting more bells and whistles but he likes the simplicity of the kitchen as it is. There is a subtlety that Neale likes but thinks its low on wow factor. Shaynna wants to know why there isn’t any lighting above the bench tops. Darren doesn’t like the wilted herbs but Neale likes the fruit bowl. Shaynna thinks the couple have peaked in the elimination rounds. Anastasia and Tim are next up. They’ve had a bad week and they’re trying not to take it personally. The judges really like the layout, especially the servery out to the terrace. Shaynna likes the pantry and the cabinetry and Darren points out that the architect designed the apartment for the kitchen to be here. Shaynna likes the range hood too but Neale wants to know where the signature style is. Ayden and Jess’s kitchen is in a new position, since they moved it from the plans. The judges think that the kitchen is great and that it could appeal to many different buyers. Darren loves the kitchen but not where it is in the floor plan. He thinks that the kitchen should be where the living room is. But Neale thinks that these days life is lived in the kitchen and that its a good thing that the kitchen opens onto the terrace. The judges think that the kitchen is a foodie’s kitchen, and that it feels like a real, lived in kitchen. Dea and Darren are next for judging and straight away the judges don’t like entering the kitchen through what they call “the goal posts”. They were all expecting big things this week after all the controversy of moving the room around. They all agree that this kitchen isn’t their best week. They think the pantry is useless, Neale thinks it’s badly planned. They also don’t like the tiles and Shaynna wants to know where the pantry is. She calls it a disaster! Charlotte and Josh - Darren 7, Shaynna 7.5, Neale 8 = 22.5. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 8, Shaynna 7.5, Neale 8 = 23.5. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8.5, Shyanna 8.5, Neale 9 = 26. Dea and Darren - Darren 7, Shaynna 6.5, Neale 7.5 = 20 (-1) 19. So Ayden and Jess win the $10,000 prize. They’ve been conserving cash too so now they’ve got plenty to spend on staircase week. After their terrible week, Tim and Anastasia came second!
S08:E40 - Episode 40
Tonight the teams begin their most difficult week. They have a week to complete their studies and stairwells. Plus Tim and Anastasia have a retreat and a media room to complete. The teams are all daunted by the workload and the organising needed to get the work done. Scotty, Dan and Keith talk about the chain of events that must take place this week. He checks on progress with all the teams and finds that everyone is overwhelmed by the work load this week. He gives Tim and Anastasia a big pep talk to get them through the week. The teams go to HQ to meet Scotty and Shelley and find out what the buyers advocates think of their kitchens. Greville, Frank and Nicole were looking forward to seeing the completed kitchens and their scores combined with the jury will decide on a winner. The winning team will take home $5000 cash from the Good Guys as well as a home computer and two lap tops plus printer. All up the prize is worth $10,000. Charlotte and Josh’s kitchen gets mixed responses from the buyers advocates who think that the space is too small. Dea thinks the ovens are too big. Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen gets a big tick from the buyers - Greville says its very sophisticated. Dea and Darren can’t believe that they were beaten by a dishwasher that doesn’t open. Charlotte noticed that nothing was completed. Nicole said that the couple need to finish their room properly. Dea doesn’t like the range hood but she does like the servery out to the terrace. In Tim and Anastasia’s kitchen the buyers advocates like all the finishes and choices, including the butlers pantry and the island bench. Greville likes the open shelving but Frank says they should have had a closed in pantry. Dea thinks they haven’t got a big enough pantry. Nicole thinks they’ve taken too much space from the living space. Josh and Charlotte really like Dea and Darren’s kitchen and think that the judges have scored them too harshly. All the other teams agree. Greville thinks Dea and Darren’s kitchen is a dream kitchen. Nicole thinks its classic and modern, but they need to do some work on the butlers pantry to get it right. Charlotte and Josh - T & A 0, A & J 0, D & D 7 Buyers 22.5 = 29.5. Tim and Anastasia - T & A 10, A & J 10, D & D 6 Buyers 20.5 = 46.5. Ayden and Jess - C & J 1.5, T & A 0, D & D 1.5 Buyers 25.5 = 28.5. Dea and Daz - C & J 1.5, T & A 0, A & J 0 Buyers 28 = 29.5. So the teams have been strategic in supporting Tim and Anastasia but the buyers advocates scored Dea and Darren the highest. The boys leave HQ but the girls stay. Scotty tells them that Neale Whitaker will be arriving in Melbourne tomorrow to take the ladies to lunch, to talk design and enjoy an afternoon together. They meet at designer David Hicks’ home for a tour of his amazing apartment.
S08:E41 - Episode 41
Tonight there’s plenty of fun on The Block as Scotty turns DJ to The Blockheads. He’s on Triple M Classic digital radio as a DJ and he’s choosing his favourite songs of all time. He’s DJ Cam for the day. Its Triple Threat radio at Triple M Digital - and he’s commentating on all that goes on at The Block for the day. Tim and Anastasia’s plasterer Pauley is on site to help out with a team of plasterers to get their stairwell done. Tim and Anastasia organise a lamb spit roast for dinner. Scotty takes calls from all the contestants, requesting songs throughout the day. Charlotte goes shopping for some timber for her study desk. She receives some good tips from Scotty on choosing timber. He tells her nothing beats experience, presentation is everything and that it helps if you’re both into the same thing! A bit the same as choosing a husband! Scotty’s starts a competition for the Blockheads to guess a secret sound. He plays them the sound of the Mitre 10 tool of the week and Anastasia is first to guess. She’s wrong! Darren isn’t happy when Keith and Dan tell him he’s been using the wrong type of plasterboard for his stairwell. He’s meant to be using 16 mm thick boards but he’s been using thinner boards. Darren has a huge argument with Keith and Dan and storms off site. This is a bad move for Darren because Safety Cam gets involved and reviews the fight on camera! He decides that Darren needs to be re-inducted! Keith has made a formal complaint and Darren has to be re-inducted. When Darren refuses, Cam tells the tradesmen to stop work. The plasterer Nick is not allowed to work and the power is cut off in Darren’s apartment so Darren is forced to be re-inducted. The secret sound is revealed by Scotty - it’s a cordless portable band saw! Scotty heads back to The block to enjoy a lamb roast prepared by Tim and Anastasia.
S08:E42 - Episode 42
Its midweek of stairs and study week. Charlotte and Josh set their alarm early so they could get their stairwell painted before their scaffold comes down. Tim and Anastasia wake up to the sound of a jack hammer destroying their stairs. The staircases are very expensive so Scotty announces another challenge. The teams must now hold their own dinner party, they’ll have to cook for Matt Moran using their own kitchens. It’s a progressive dinner, meaning each team does one course, canapes and drinks, entree, main and dessert. Dea was first to choose and gets canapés and drinks, Jess chooses and gets main meal, Anastasia chooses entree, and Josh and Charlotte gets dessert. As a food stylist Charlotte has an advantage for this challenge. Darren and Ayden don’t want to participate in the challenge, they want to work on their rooms. Tim and Anastasia are dedicating their day to the challenge and will give their best efforts to cooking! Pauley doesn’t think it;s a good idea for Tim and Anastasia to both be off site but they’re focussed on the food. Tim talks to his brother Mike who is a chef in Adelaide. They’ve decided on a chicken dish. Charlotte tells Josh she’s making individual puddings, Jess goes to the markets shopping for quail. Dea’s sister is a big food lover and she talks to Dea about what they can create to impress Matt. Dea and Daz impress Matt Moran with their canapés including a raspberry cocktail. Its made the other teams a little nervous. Tim and Anastasia are next up with their entrees and they impress everyone with their chicken dish and lovely table setting. Jess and Ayden are next up with their main meal of spatchcock. Matt loves the stuffing and the gravy. Josh and Charlotte are next cooking a dessert of self saucing chocolate pudding with a side of berries, served with dessert wine. The dessert is delicious and all the teams love it, so does Matt Moran. But sadly for Matt, he got the one dessert that wasn’t cooked properly. The Kitchen Capers challenge is judged and Matt Moran chooses Dea and Darren as the winner. Dea is thrilled with the win, taking home $5000 cash and the chalk to take a point off another team on judging day. The teams get back to work. Tim and Anastasia are overwhelmed with what they have to do and Charlotte sets her alarm for 3am to give her some painting time before the trades arrive. Only two teams had to build stairs from scratch and the other teams need to work with the stairs that are already there. Dea and Darren’s stairs aren’t level and difficult to work with. Tim’s builder is struggling with the huge work load and to make matters worse he hasn’t got a valid work cover insurance certificate. Darren discovers that Ayden and Jess and Josh and Charlotte were given $10,000 each for their staircase build. He’s not happy! He and Dea confront Scotty about why they didn’t get $10,000. Scotty tells them how much others have spent building their stairs. They don’t agree on what is fair this week. Louvretec shutters are installed throughout the building.
S08:E43 - Episode 43
Tonight there’s a huge push to the end for all the teams. Josh and Charlotte’s tradesmen are putting in a huge effort to try and complete their terraces. Tim and Anastasia’s tradesmen are also working hard. Dea and Darren are not happy with their staircase. The risers don’t fit and the stairs are uneven and they are worried they wont’ finish on time. Ayden and Jess’s apartment is progressing well but Tim and Anastasia’s builder Gordy is really sick and has to leave the site to rest. Keith isn’t happy that Gordy has fallen ill, he thinks its because Tim and Anastasia aren’t trying hard enough. Keith and Dan confront the couple about their project management. Dan thinks they wasted too much time with indecision early in the week and should be further along than they are now. Keith thinks they should be working harder but Tim and Anastasia can’t believe what they’re hearing. Tim’s stairs will only be half completed for reveal. Tradesmen were coming up and down the stairs all week which means that the stairs can’t be laid. This means they can only deliver their retreats and study. At the eleventh hour they realise they can’t get the furniture up the stairs through the scaffolding. Dea and Darren can’t finish their study either. The built in shelving that they had planned for the space don’t fit. At Scotty’s HQ the mood is a little flat because of all the incomplete work. Josh and Charlotte are first up for judging. They’ve had a huge week and despite thinking they wouldn’t finish, Josh has made a huge push to the finish line. They didn’t finish the painting but most of the rooms are complete. After a disappointing first impression, the judges are happy with the study area and the shutters. Tim and Anastasia are next up and none of the judges are happy. They’ve gone from bad to worse and Darren thinks it is due to bad management. The cinema room is worse and Shaynna calls them idiots. Darren thinks that they should have made their media room another bedroom and then they’d be the only apartment that is a four bedroom apartment. Shaynna wants to know what they’ve been doing this week and calls it the worst room reveal they’ve ever seen. In Ayden and Jess’s apartment, the judges are impressed. The detail impresses Neale and Shaynna and Darren loves the strong statement that the couple have created. They all love the study and the light fittings. Neale thinks the light fittings are amazing. Dea and Darren’s apartment isn’t finished and the judges wish that it was complete. They’re all disappointed and Darren spots that the levels are incomplete and wrong. He sees that something has gone wrong with installation. They love the pendants but think they’re too low and the study also disappoints. Shaynna doesn’t like the orientation of the desk. Charlotte and Josh - Darren 6, Shaynna 6, Neale 7 = Total 19. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 2, Shaynna 3, Neale 3 = Total 8. Ayden and Jess - Darren 9.5, Shaynna 9.5, Neale 10 = Total 28. Dea and Darren - Darren 6, Shaynna 3, Neale 6 = Total 15. Tim and Anastasia have scored the lowest scores in the history of The Block but Ayden and Jess are so happy that they’ve won and that they scored a 10 from Neale.
S08:E44 - Episode 44
This week is terrace week for the contestants but they must also finish their studies and staircases. Ayden and Jess were the only couple to complete their rooms last night and after they took out the win, but they still have a lot to do. All the teams get busy with their terraces and the facade of the building is prepped for its finish. Josh and Charlotte are very organised with a list of jobs that need completing this week. She gives their electrician his list of things to finish in the next seven days. Darren gets some help from Keith about the footings for his deck. Darren should have employed an engineer to give his decking plans the once over but hasn’t. Luckily for Darren, a few photos of the progress will be enough for the engineer to give the OK, which means the deck can continue without delay. The teams head to HQ to hear from the buyers advocates and see how their fellow blockheads scored their rooms. In Josh and Charlotte’s apartment, the buyers advocates like the glass balustrading. Greville thought that the shutters went too far down under the desk, and Tim and Anastasia agreed with this. Dea was impressed with the desk size. In Tim and Anastasia’s apartment didn’t get a great response, as they haven’t finished. Nicole thinks they’ve got a great opportunity and Frank says it has been one of his favourite apartments, but he’s disappointed that the rooms are so incomplete. Frank thinks that their first media room should be a bedroom and that the couple has missed out on a great opportunity. Greville thinks that the two media rooms are identical and says that his buyers will walk straight back out. Nicole says make a media room into a bedroom, the current bedroom into a retreat and so something with the wardrobe. Anastasia is frustrated at what the buyers advocates are suggesting, they have no money to do any of the work being suggested. In Ayden and Jess’s apartment the buyers love the finished product. Nicole thinks they’re really listening to what the market is telling them. Dea thinks the chairs in the retreat are uncomfortable. Charlotte and Josho - T and A 0, A and J 5, D and D 0, Buyers 21.5 = Total 26.5. Tim and Anastasia - C and J 1.5, A and J 5, D and D 0, Buyers 11.5 = Total 18. Ayden and Jess - C and J 10, T and A 10, D and D 0, Buyers 27 = Total 47. Dea and Darren - C and J 1.5, T and A 0, A and J 5, Buyers 15 = Total 21.5. So Ayden and Jess take out the win, taking home the $5000 prize from The Good Guys, as well as two infrared wall heaters for their terrace.
S08:E45 - Episode 45
Money’s tight for all the teams this week and they’re all trying to get the terraces complete, with four days to go. Darren and Dea’s terrace is open to the elements which may delay work. They’ve cleverly set aside $20,000 for their outdoor terrace and they’re going to need every cent! Tim and Anastasia have spent most of their budget and ten weeks down the track they’ve only got a couple of thousand dollars in their account. Dave Franklin gets to work transforming the front garden of The Block. He takes Jess on a shopping trip to choose a sculptural piece for the front garden. Jess receives some cushion covers from Queensland, they’re made of recycled bottles. She’s planning to use them on their terrace. Tim and Anastasia have no credit left on their Mitre 10 account and they get a pep talk from Dan who helps them out on the tools for the day. Safety Cam is on the prowl and isn’t happy about the way the scaffolding has been erected in Josh and Charlotte’s terrace. The scaffolding is missing pieces and Cam isn’t happy and insists that works will stop until then scaffold is right. Jess and Ayden have chosen a feature wall that has cost them nothing in cash. Its come from CSR and they found the product in the suppliers book that was given to them ten weeks ago at the beginning of the renovation. The exterior of the building takes shape as windows are fitted with Vanguard automated blinds. Josh and Charlotte plan a green wall that extends all the way up their terrace wall. Dea and Darren receive 80 tropical plants for their terrace garden. Darren causes controversy when he calls some of Tim and Anastasia’s tradesmen about if they’ve been paid or not. He uncovers that Tim and Anastasia have not paid their plasterer and that they owe between $20,000 and $30,000. Their tradesmen Gordo has a chat to Tim and Anastasia because he’s worried that they won’t be able to pay their bills. Darren thinks that Anastasia and Tim have been dishonest.
S08:E46 - Episode 46
Anastasia and Tim are trying to put on a brave face and get their work done this week. They have a huge amount of work to do but not a great deal of money. Ayden and Jess’s terrace is almost completely clad in their CSR product and Keith is impressed with how good it looks. Dea and Darren have a huge team of people working on their terrace which is also taking shape. The apartments all have a finger print reader installed, a great security feature. Tradesmen are issuing final invoices. Tim and Anastasia’s plasterer Pauley has just given Anastasia his final invoice for $19,5000. Keith is a little worried because he knows Tim and Anastasia don’t have enough money to pay the bill. Pauley talks to Anastasia who says its all good. Ayden and Jess install their own vertical garden. Ayden and Darren talk about whether or not Tim has paid all his trade bills so far and Darren decides to confront the couple, with Josh and Ayden there to witness the confrontation. Darren tells T and A that there are rumours going around that their trades haven’t been paid and he thinks that’s cheating. Tim says they’ve just received the last invoice and Anastasia and Tim aren’t happy, they think Darren’s burning his own integrity by going behind their backs to talk to their tradesmen. Darren thinks Tim and Anastasia are cheating, Josh and Ayden feel awkward about being involved in the meeting and Tim isn’t happy that his integrity has been questioned and that Darren has contacted he and Anastasia’s trades. Scotty and Shelley arrive for a check on progress and they start with Josh and Charlotte who have almost finished their spectacular vertical garden. Next up Tim and Anastasia drop a bombshell when its discovered that they don’t have enough money to pay their latest invoice from Pauley. Shelley says they haven’t budgeted properly so Tim offers to pay for it out of his own pocket. Scotty says he’ll pay the $20,000 bill and then the money will come off their reserve price if Tim and Anastasia don’t have the money to pay for it. Tim and Anastasia walk off site after their chat with Scotty and Shelley. Anastasia has had enough and decides to leave. Jess is mortified that Ayden was involved and says she’d walk off if it happened to them. Jess thinks it’s no one else’s business to accuse their competitors of cheating. Jess, Charlotte and Josh hide away from the cameras to talk about how horrible they feel about what’s happened. Scotty and Shelley tell Dea and Darren what’s happened and Dea is really sad about it. She calls Anastasia and leaves her a message. Jess and Ayden are also upset about the news but they joke about taking Tim and Anastasia’s apartment and joining it to theirs! Josh and Charlotte send a message to Tim and Anastasia and promise them they won’t let the bullies get to them. Jess thinks that the couple have been bullied and says she also would have walked off site if she was on the receiving end of Darren’s confrontation.
S08:E47 - Episode 47
The other teams are getting used to the fact that Tim and Anastasia have left The Block. They all get on with the job of finishing their terraces. Dave Franklin and his crew are also working hard to finish the front garden. Its important that The Block has great street appeal and it’s coming along nicely. Josh and Charlotte re-think their BBQ area on the terrace, because the BBQ they ordered isn’t available. Dave Franklin and Dea go shopping together and they talk about the ramifications of Tim and Anastasia leaving. Dave says to Dea that she now has a one in three chance of winning The Block. Their chances of winning are higher now with just three teams. Ayden and Jess include part of an old gate from the MCG - they’re hoping it’ll be a good selling point for buyers on auction day. Tim and Anastasia decide to get back to work and head back to The Block to complete their apartment. Dea decides to say hello but gets a frosty reception from Anastasia. They’ve decided to come back and give it their best shot. If they win The Block, they’ll donate their $100,000 to charity. They have a new lease on life for the final few days on The Block. On the morning of the final reveal Scotty meets the judges on site to show the judges the new Vanguard exterior shutters, that are controlled by the sun. Scotty also shows the judges his brand new Neale Whitaker Doll! The teams head to HQ to find out what the judges thought about their terraces. Josh and Charlotte are first up once again and Shaynna's first impression is that it’s the perfect entrance. Neale loves the terrace and loves seeing how the apartment looks once complete. He likes the pared back and restrained design. He also likes the heat strip heaters. Darren thinks the couple have added value to their apartment. Tim and Anastasia are next up, with their private courtyard. All the judges love the pendant lights, although they are interior light fittings. They also like the vertical garden, noticing that its framed well and a lovely outlook from the kitchen. Shaynna thinks the dining table is good but that the chairs are too big for the space. It looks like a smaller terrace than Josh and Charlotte’s, but it’s not. They do notice the unfinished areas. Jess and Ayden are next and Darren loves that they’ve created another living room on their terrace. Neale thinks its a whole extra room by being made a living room and he loves the cladding. They all love the old MCG gate that has been incorporated in the wall garden. Finally the judges were very impressed with Dea and Darren’s terrace. They all love it and Neale calls it total luxury. He loves palm trees! Shaynna thinks they’re very good at employing the right people for the job and they all agree its the perfect finishing touch that the apartment needed. They also love the fake grass. There is nothing to fault in any room, Shaynna calls it perfection! Charlotte and Josho - Darren 9.5, Shaynna 9.5, Neale 9.5 = Total 28.5. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 7.5, Shaynna 7, Neale 8.5 = Total 23. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8.5, Shaynna 8, Neale 8.5 = Total 25. Dea and Darren - Darren 10, Shaynna 10, Neale 10 = Total 30. So Darren and Dea win the final room reveal with a perfect 30 out of 30.
S08:E48 - Episode 48
Today there’s only 72 hours before the final tools down on The Block. There’s an army of tradesmen from Mitre 10 who will help the contestants finish their rooms. In just three days time, buyers and judges will be arriving to judge the completed apartments, and the three apartments that score the highest will receive money off their reserve. $20,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place and $5,000 for third place. Charlotte and Josh aren’t all that happy because they have worked harder than anyone else to complete their apartment. Tim and Anastasia need the most help with their apartment and they’re treating it like a challenge. They know they must get the work done. Everyone has fiddly and frustrating things to fix. Ayden and Jess must pull up the entire floor in their master bedroom so they can have a seamless join from room to room. Dea and Darren are very keen to make more money than they did last series. Darren needs to raise his floor up outside the cellar and decides to pour another cement slab on top. Keith catches him just in time, Darren is going about it the wrong way and must now think of another plan, using reinforced concrete. The teams must share the team of tradesmen that have arrived to help. Dea goes shopping at Beacon Lighting but she hasn’t got any money left on her account. She will need to return some unused light fittings if she wants to purchase more. Scotty announces one epic final challenge at and end of day BBQ - the teams will have to wait until the next day to find out what they’re playing for. The teams arrive at the beautiful Royal Exhibition Building in Melbourne, a building on the World Heritage List. The teams see four separate mazes of Suzuki cars. They have the chance to win a car that will be in their apartment for auction day. The first team to drive out of their grid wins the car. There are a few cars in the way and they can only drive forward or backwards to get to the winning car and drive it out of the grid. Ayden and Jess win the challenge and are so excited that they’ll have a car in their garage to sell with their apartment! Ayden installs an amazing glass feature wall that is a photo of the Hong Kong night time skyline. The glass ballustrading for Dea and Darren’s staircase doesn’t fit the staircase that has been made. After a huge rush and an incredible effort from all the teams, the apartments are completed and so is the exterior and front garden. There’s plenty of relief and excitement from all, as they wait for the buyers and the judges to score one last time.
S08:E49 - Episode 49
Tonight the teams look back on what they’ve achieved in ten long weeks. Jess and Ayden have loved the experience, Charlotte calls it a dream. They are ready and waiting for feedback from the all important buyers and the judges. Buyers advocates Frank, Greville and Nicole bring in a huge crowd of potential buyers, starting with Josh and Charlotte’s apartment. Josh and Charlotte are thrilled with the feedback on their apartment, the buyers think they’ve created a beautiful apartment. One buyer wants to come back for a second look. Tim and Anastasia are next up. They get great feedback for their living and dining area and the second entertainment area gets a big thumbs up. The ensuite also gets good feedback. Ayden and Jess’s apartment is next up and the buyers feedback here is also good. All of Greville’s buyers liked the study areas and shutters. In Dea and Darren’s apartment the buys love the terrace flowing out from the kitchen. Many buyers notice that the courtyard is much bigger than some of the terraces. The wine cellar gets a lot of points too. The teams head to HQ to hear the feedback from Scotty. He has plenty of money to give away for the final visit to HQ. There’s $20,000 for first place, $15,000 for second place and $10,000 for last place. Scotty tells the contestants that the buyers advocates have buyers for all the apartments. The teams with the highest combined scores will have the prize money taken off their reserve on auction day. Josh and Charlotte are first up. The parents retreat is the perfect room for one buyer. The judges love the completed Block, Neale calls it the perfect contemporary apartment building for South Yarra. Neale thinks the young Manly couple have adapted. Darren loves the layout and would have done exactly the same if he was designing it. Shaynna thinks they have a very high level of sophistication. They’ve delivered subtle luxury. Next up Tim and Anastasia. Some of the buyers didn’t like the floor plan on level 1. They love the high ceilings, and they also love the kitchen and living/dining area. They like the retreats, and think that the level two retreat could be transformed into a bedroom. The judges are next up and Shaynna is very happy that the dining room ceiling has been fixed. They didn’t like the cookoo clock, but they do love the media room/retreat. But they still think that it should have been made into a bedroom. Darren thinks their apartment isn’t as contemporary as other South Yarra apartments and Shaynna thinks their apartment is confused. The buyers loved Ayden and Jess’s terrace, and some of the buyers even loved the hexagonal tiles in the main bathroom. Some buyers thought that their study felt like an airline lounge with the inclusion of a bar fridge and coffee machine. The judges love the money spent on the garage, especially with the car! They think that the couple have evolved into something very sophisticated. Darren thinks the kitchen is too big and in the wrong spot but he does like the terrace and the new layout in the living room. Darren and Dea are next up. The buyers really like the courtyard and think it’s the best one on The Block. Some of the buyers thought it was too cluttered but others loved it. Greville has had an offer on the apartment already but has said they’ll have to wait for auction day. The judges also love the overall end result. Neale thinks it is very well suited to South Yarra. Their apartment will probably have the broadest appeal and Neale thinks its always been their plan. Dea never doubted moving their kitchen. Shaynna sticks by her opinion of the leopard print bed head. Darren thinks the master bedroom is the best on The Block. Scotty writes up his scores and when Darren and Shaynna’s scores are revealed its a dead heat between Dea and Darren and Charlotte and Josh. Charlotte and Josh - Darren 9, Shaynna 9, Neale 8.5, Buyers 24.5 = Total 51. Tim and Anastasia - Darren 7, Shaynna 6.5, Neale 6.5, Buyers 23 = Total 43. Ayden and Jess - Darren 8.5, Shaynna 8.5, Neale 9, Buyers 26 = Total 52. Dea and Darren - Darren 9 Shaynna 9, Neale 9.5, Buyers 27 = Total 54.5. So Darren and Deanne win, with $20,000 off their reserve. They’re so happy and Darren says its a credit to himself and Deanne. Ayden and Jess win $15,000 off their reserve. $10,000 for Josh and Charlotte off their reserve. They’re happy with some good scores from the judges. Tim and Anastasia don’t get anything off their reserve but they’ve still scored well.
S08:E50 - Episode 50
The crowds gather for the open for inspections in South Yarra, where the contestants meet the fans as they show off their apartments. Josh and Charlotte are first up for the public to inspect their apartment. Next up Tim and Anastasia have their apartment open to a very cute little boy who loves their kitchen. Jess and Ayden are next and they’re definitely the crowd favourites. Dea and Darren’s apartment is also popular, especially their terrace. They are both ready for round two of the auctions and are ready to prove a point. An AMP Financial Advisor talks to Shelley about property investment and what to look for when you’re in the market for an investment property. A team of armed guards arrive for a special delivery, a cake to celebrate the 10th Block. Scotty takes delivery of the cake in Dea and Darren’s kitchen where the reserve prices are baked into the cake! The teams arrive to meet Scotty. He blows out the candles, cuts the cake into four huge pieces. The teams must take the pieces back to their own apartments to discover their reserve prices. He tells them they must try and work out the auction order between themselves, like a body corporate meeting. Jess and Ayden’s original reserve price is $1,350,000. They take off $15,000 their reserve price to make it $1,335,000. Tim and Anastasia’s reserve price is $1,400,000. They must add $20,000 to their reserve, making it $1,420,000. Josh and Charlotte’s reserve price is $1,400,000 with $10,000 taken off. This makes their reserve $1,390,000. Dea and Darren’s original reserve price is $1,475,000. They get to take $20,000 off their reserve, making it $1,455,000. Now its time to decide the order of the auctions. The teams sit down to work out who will go first, second, third and fourth but no one wants to go first. Ayden tells Dea and Darren they should go first as they have the most interested buyers. Darren and Dea don’t agree and insist on calling their real estate agent to get advice on where they should sit in auction order. Dea and Darren are so scarred about last series that they don’t want to go first. The other teams agree to let them call their agent, who advises them to go third or fourth. The teams can’t agree on an auction order. Scotty arrives and the teams pull a number out of a hat. Charlotte and Josh are going fourth, Tim and Ana are first, Jess and Ayden are second and Dea and Darren are third. Tim and Ana’s auction kicks off with a bid of $1,500,000 and then $1,600,000 straight away. After a fierce bidding war the apartment sells for $2,175,000, giving them a total cash prize of $755,000. They cannot believe their luck. It’s an incredible start. Next up for auction is Ayden and Jess’s apartment. Jess says she’d be happy with a deposit for the house they want to build. Ayden says they want to build a house for $250,000. Their auction starts off with a bid of $1,700,000! That’s their new house paid for in one bid! Their apartment sells for a staggering $2,000,000, and Jess and Ayden win an incredible $665,000. They couldn’t be happier with their result. Dea and Darren are next with a reserve of $1,455,000. They’re nervous about not winning any money, much like last series. To win they need $2,100,000. The opening bid is $2,100,000 and bids quickly increase to $2,220,000, putting them in the lead! The apartment sells for $2,290,000, earning $835,000! They can’t believe their luck! They’re currently in the lead. Josh and Charlotte are next up and are so nervous. Their auction kicks off with a bid of $1,800,000 making the couple a quick $410,000 in one single bid! The bids come quickly and the apartment sells for $2,200,000. The young couple from Manly make an astonishing $810,000! Josh is so emotional and says they’re the luckiest people in the world. This makes Darren and Deanne the winners, and they pick up another $100,000. This makes a them whopping $935,000 cash. They have won the highest amount of money on The Block, in its ten year history. The four teams get together to celebrate and are joined by Scotty! He tells them they’ve given away more than $3,000,000.
S08:E51 - Open House 1
This is the new show The Block Open House. This show is all about sharing all the block expertise and getting out on the road to meet and help people in their homes. Darren Palmer turns design doctor, helping a couple make a narrow small room into a fantastic guest room/study. By repainting, and installing a foldaway bed, the room can be used as a bedroom and a study. Shelley and the judges take over Scotty’s HQ to catch up on the week that was on The Block. Twins Alyssa and Lysandra help a family spruce up a house for sale, with a makeover that takes just one day. Ian and Rosetta have an investment property that they want to sell but they’re just not getting the offers that they need, and the property passed in with no bids on auction day. Alisa and Lysandra arrive to help them fix up the kitchen and living room. They’ve got some great ideas to brighten things up. They remove the carpet and slate tiles, and a new timber floating floor is installed. They choose a bright artwork for the walls and repaint and old timber side board bright blue. They also install a new timber bench top in the kitchen and hang cool new pendant lights above the bench. Scotty meets Tammy, who’s husband Brendan could possibly be the world’s biggest “knuckle head”. Scotty surprises Brendan after having a good look around the house at Brendan’s handy work. Scotty helps Brendan paint some window frames that have been in bad shape for 5 years! The real estate agent is very impressed with the twins’ efforts at real estate styling. The space is definitely more appealing and the house is valued by an independent valuer. He values it at approximately $810,00 - $815,000. In terms of rent, the property would now fetch up to $150 a week more than before the makeover. The house sells four weeks later for $810,000.
S08:E52 - Open House 2
Tonight All Stars Bec and George help out a couple (Jackie and Damian) who are struggling to sell their home in Footscray. Its valued at $620,000 but the kitchen is old and tired. There’s only a week before the auction. The couple is looking to buy their first home together. Bec and George’s challenge is to renovate the kitchen in one day, as well as bringing in hire furniture to style the property. Darren Palmer shows us how to replicate the Hamptons look in a bedroom in three different budgets. There’s budget ($500), mid range ($1,500) and a $4000 top end look. All three looks are a different take on the Hamptons look and Neale and Shaynna are impressed with Darren’s efforts. Bec and George arrange for furniture to be hired for the Footscray house. And the new kitchen takes shape with new bench tops, marble splash back tiles and new cupboard doors. There’s also some new pendant lights over the bench top. The hired furniture looks great and Bec styles with food and flowers to make the space look homely and welcoming. The owners are amazed that the whole make over happened in one day. Real estate agent Chris arrives and is very impressed with Bec and George’s make over. The pre-makeover valuation was $680,000. Dea arrives to confront Darren Palmer about his decision to use the same materials and look in Tim and Anastasia’s bedroom. Darren defends himself and says that he often goes to the same gallery that Dea went to for the artwork. Darren tells Dea that he was following Anastasia’s brief when he helped them out. He delivered what Anastasia wanted and that is the designer’s job. It was a shock for Dea to walk into what she thought was the same room as hers. Dea and Darren kiss and make up and everyone has a laugh about judging. The auction in Footscray is on. Originally valued at $680,000, the kitchen makeover has pushed the value up over $700,000. Its a slow start at the auction and the auctioneer kicks things off with a $660,000 vendor bid. That kicks things off and the bidding quickly goes up in $10,000 bids until it reaches $776,000, that’s a huge gain of $96,000. The buyers are happy and the vendors are very happy to be starting a new chapter.
S08:E53 - Open House 3
Phil and Amity from The Block 2003 and 2013 are lending a hand to a family in Sydney’s Matraville. They’re trying to sell their home and there’s not been a lot of interest from buyers. Scotty and Phil and Amity arrive to meet the family. They decide to tone down the dramatic and colourful decorating style of the current owners. Amity decides to change the girls bedrooms - Ela and Talia. They have $10,000 to spend on the house. The boys get organised and take the old furniture out. Amity and Ailin go shopping and choose items for the girls bedrooms. Phil and Neil put together a wardrobe and some window furnishing. Ayden and Jess arrive to talk to Shelley and the judges about their bathroom and how the judges didn’t really like their bathroom design! Shaynna tells them they used too many different elements in one room. They also want to know why Jess decided to spend $20,000 on tiles. Neale loved the tiles but tells the couple they should be used sparingly. Neale just doesn’t agree with the separate toilet idea. Shaynna says when there’s three toilets in the house, you don’t need to make a separate toilet. But Jess and Ayden disagree and think that some buyers will like their bathroom. Shaynna tells us how to choose the right rug for a space. Size is the first thing to consider. The bigger the better, a small rug could look cheap and the room could look incomplete. Don’t choose a thin rug for a high traffic area. Make sure you get the thickest rug you can find, it won’t move around in high foot traffic. Use masking tape on the floor to demonstrate the size of the rug, this will give you an idea of how the room will look in your space. In Matraville, Amity and Phil’s makeover is complete. The bedrooms have been transformed and the living room has a new rug, new wallpaper and an artwork. The owners are thrilled with the results, especially their girls Talia and Ela. Keith and Dan get to together for the very first “In The Shed” segment. Keith and Dan are making two side tables, making the tops out of honed pieces of marble. The judges and Shelley are impressed with the end result. Its auction day at Matraville. Amity and Phil’s renovation is complete and the couple are nervous and excited about the auction! The auction is a huge success. The opening bid is $1,000,000 which was the pre-reno value. Then the bidding kicks off and the house sells for $1.080,000. The vendors are so excited, with the property selling for $80,000 above their reserve price.
S08:E54 - Open House 4
Tonight Shelley is joined by all our judges Neale, Shaynna and Darren. Glasshouse winners Simon and Shannon visit the owners of a two bedroom apartment in Sydney’s west, valued at $475,000. It needs some decluttering before buyers are interested in purchasing! Owners Marizio and Casey have lived here for four years and they’re having a baby so need to sell up and move somewhere with a bit more space. Simon and Shannon will fix up the living room and the second bedroom, which is being used as a man cave. They’ll also renovate the main bedroom, moving in a bed. There’s $10,000 to spend on the apartment. The judges look back at the week that was on The Block, talking about the second bedrooms delivered. They also talk about the argument that brewed in Dea and Darren’s leopard print bedroom. Neale loved the leopard print, and even demonstrates using Shelley’s belt to Shaynna. Darren Palmer makes a mum and dad to be very happy with a $5000 makeover in a nursery. The room is full of NRL Cronulla Sharks memorabilia and father to be Chris wants it to stay. Mum to be Deanna doesn’t agree, and wants a classic, timeless look. Darren chooses to use a phrase from the Sharks theme song to use in the room and Chris paints the room dark blue. The cot is rose gold coloured brass. Darren asks Chris to sing the theme song! The room is complete with feeding chair, chest of drawers, rug and gorgeous curtains. Darren loved doing the room and Neale thinks its modern and fresh. Scotty visits a husband and father Justin who is this week’s Knucklehead. Scotty has attempted most jobs in the house and hasn’t had much luck completing anyone. Daughter Matisse’s room is where Scotty helps out. Justin has put the cornice on upside down. Justin has a great shed, its huge and Scotty is impressed. He and Scotty work together to remove the old cornice and replace with new cornices. Shannon and Simon’s living room makeover is complete and the neutral scheme works well. The man cave has gone, there’s a huge master bedroom instead and the second bedroom is also neutral and nicely decorated. The buyers are impressed and the agent really likes the new look. Neale visits All Stars Josh and Jenna. They make their living by renovating and selling houses. Josh and Jenna show Neale through their latest investment property. They have bought and sold two houses in a year and show Neale how they furnish and style the homes before they rent them out. They renovate using key pieces such as artworks. They spent up on floorboards and stone bench tops and chose a neutral colour scheme. Vendors Marizio and Casey are hoping the apartment sells for more than $475,000. The first bid is $490,000 so the auction gets off to a great start! It quickly escalates and the apartment sells for $532,500, that’s a whopping $57,500 more than the pre-makeover estimate. The vendors are so excited and so is the agent.
S08:E55 - Open House 5
Tonight Carlene and Michael help a couple in Concord, Sydney, renovate their family home for sale. These empty nesters are moving out of their Californian Bungalow that has been lovingly renovated. David and Catherine have lived here for 25 years and they’re now down sizing. There’s just one room at the back of the house that is turning buyers off, with its 1970’s look. So Michael and Carlene have a huge day of clearing out all the old 1970’s items. The old timber cabinet is also taken out and with all these things being removed its hard for owners David and Catherine to come to terms with their change. They paint all the timber window surrounds and the timber beams. Carlene decides to go for a floating timber floor. It’s a huge decision and a heart wrenching experience for the home owners and Michael and Carlene do a great job of easing David and Catherine into it. Shaynna gives us the Hollywood Regency Look on three budgets. Its based on the 1930’s, and bringing the LA film set into your living room. She’s started with a basic navy blue sofa and $1000. A big lush palm in a pot is a cheap way to introduce colour. its all about simplicity and structure, with a formal look. With $2000 Shaynna introduces more layers, mirrored coffee tables and mirror for the wall. A marble and brass coffee table is another good addition. It’s all about drama, theatre and luxury. With $3,500 in the budget, Shaynna’s chosen an animal print rug, matching floor and table lamps as well as a coffee table with fine tapered legs. Emerald green cushions with a symmetrical pattern set the luxurious look for the high end budget. At the make over in Concord the look is coming together nicely. David and Catherine have already bought their next home so they need to sell their family home. The real estate agent Roger arrives and he’s blown away by the transformation. He thinks that the house has definitely increased in value. Tim is the latest knucklehead for Scotty to visit. His attempts at paving in the backyard has been a disaster. Tim didn’t use a level and he started at either end of the entertaining area. As an accountant, he didn’t exactly get his calculations right. Scotty gives Tim a level, which Tim doesn’t even own! Scotty and his team of landscapers get in and take out the old pavers and excavate before they put a sand/cement base down to ensure a solid, level base. Once all the pavers are down, Scotty pours pave set sand and Tim sweeps it all in. The whole family is thrilled with the end result. Its auction day at Concord and David and Catherine are very nervous! The bidding kicks off at $1,250,000 and climbs slowly to $1,300,000. David and Catherine are happy with anything over $1,300,000 and are thrilled when the bidding hits this mark. The house sells for $1,410,000 and has been purchased by a young family. David and Catherine are so happy with the sale and that another young family has purchased the home. Michael and Carlene have done a great job with the house! Darren says that everyone’s got two days in a weekend and its amazing what you can do in just a day!
S08:E56 - Open House 6
Tonight, Shelley, Darren, Neale and Shaynna meet up again at HQ for a look back at the week that was. We look back on all the delays that have happened leading up to the ensuites being delivered this week. There has been plastering, screening and waterproofing delays. Matt and Kim from The Block Sky High 2013 help out a family. Nat and Jake and their three kids have lived in Figtree for three years and they’re selling up. They’ve done a bit of work to the house to get ready for sale but they’ve run out of time and money to finish up in time for the auction. Buyers have loved the upstairs of the house including the kitchen. But their downstairs rumpus room with slate floor and exposed brick walls let the whole house down. They have $10,000 to spend on the room. They decide to paint the bricks white so it all blends in. They also decide on carpet to go over the slate floor. Matt and Kim want to make it look more like a second living room as the room currently doesn’t have a purpose. They put in a desk, sofa, bean bags, a big rug and some cool chairs. They also put a beautiful shell mirror on the wall. The whole look is very coastal. Darren Palmer helps a lovely couple fix their horrible bathroom in a three day make over. Mel and Ben live with their kids near Newcastle and they’re happy with their house, except for the bathroom! Its a mess of blue tiles and it’s the only bathroom for the whole family. Darren Palmer arrives to renovate the bathroom and he’s shocked at how bad the bathroom actually is! One of the major things they need to fix is storage. Its a huge challenge for Darren. He’s got $10,000 to spend. Mel and Darren go shopping for tiles. They choose some floor tiles at just $24 a square metre. Then they choose some modern but classic tap ware and two shaving cabinets to mount on the wall. The tilers work into the night to get the tiling almost complete. Darren has chosen a flat pack vanity with great storage. He’s joined three of them together and put on a timber top, with timber found at a timber yard. Mel and Ben are staying away from all the mess and the rest of the renovation is done under Darren’s supervision. The bath is re-sprayed which is a great, cheaper alternative to a brand new bath. The couple arrives home to look at their completed bathroom. They can’t believe the transformation, the room looks incredible. Neale thinks its the best $10,000 spent on that house. Back in Figtree its auction day for Matt and Kim’s friends Jake and Nat in Figtree. The pre-reno value is at $520,000. The bidding is very slow and starts at $480,000 then the auctioneer makes a vendor bid of $530,000. Then the bid is $540,000, then $560,000 then $565,000. The agents go back and forward to the owners to get the go ahead to sell the property. The bidding then increases to $567,500 and the property is on the market. The house sells for $567,500 and the owners are happy with the end result. Back at HQ, the judges and Shelley agree this makeover from Matt and Kim has been the best doing your block so far!
S08:E57 - Open House 7
Tonight is the final episode of Open House. Shelley is in HQ and is joined by Neale, Shaynna and Darren once again. Kyal and Kara are special guests tonight. They head to Keriaville on the NSW coast to help a family sell their home. Michael and Mary and their two children have lived here for 18 years. Their children have grown up and moved out of home and Michael and Mary are moving into a smaller apartment. The house has three bedrooms and is valued at $650,000, it’s a popular area for young families. The house has been very special for the family. The entrance and front living room are stuck in the 1950s and they’re the first rooms that buyers see. Mary says the only thing she wants in the room is a new fly screen. Mary’s nervous about changes as the house is very sentimental to her and Michael. Kyal wants to connect the rooms together by taking out a wall. Kyal and Kara have $10,000 thanks to AMP and just one day to get the work done. They get to work ripping out carpet and ripping down a wall. They’re also going to re-vamp the tired old fireplace. They build a timber frame but surround it with a non combustible sheeting. Kara and Mary head out to meet the real estate agent. Scotty rescues another Knucklehead. This time its Sabrina, who’s been dobbed in by her best mate Tessa, they’ve been best friends ever since. Sabrina is only in her 20s and has her own home but she’s not so good at painting! She’s trying to achieve the shabby chic look by painting. Scotty congratulates Sabrina for having a good attempt at painting but Scotty is keen to give a helping hand. First step is sanding off all the old paint, using a palm sander. Then they wipe the surfaces down using a tack cloth. Next step is to tape up and then its time to apply the stain and then a sealer. Back in Keiraville the makeover is going well but the team needs to be finished by 5pm because there is an open for inspection the next morning. Kyal and Kara frame their own mirror, bring in new sofas, lamps and a rug and the house looks amazing. Real estate agent Jenny can’t believe the transformation. She thinks they’ve added hopefully around $50,000. Design Doctor visits a couple who's DIY kitchen is falling apart. Mel and Michael wanted to save on costs so Michael installed a flat pack kitchen with some mates. The tap doesn’t work and the cupboards don’t really open. Darren decides to take the old kitchen out and start again with three days to do the job in. The plumbing, layout and cook top are staying in the same spot. Darren takes the couple to The Good Guys to choose their surfaces. They also choose another oven and cooktop and Darren gets to work in the house while the couple stay away with their two young children. When they get back the kitchen is complete and Darren has chosen patterned tiles and timber look laminate bench tops. Everyone’s happy with the kitchen including Darren! Its auction day in Keiraville and the 1950’s house is going under the hammer. The auction is slow to start but it starts at $600,000 and quickly climbs to $650,000 which is the pre renovation value. The auction quickly escalates to $800,000, $100,000 over the reserve. The house sells for $811,000. Mary and Michael are so happy! They can’t believe the end result and are so thankful to everyone everyone’s efforts.
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