With The Block auctions about to kick off in Daylesford, there’s one big question hanging over the entire season and no, it’s not who’ll win. It’s “how much are these houses actually worth?”
Insiders have spilled to PEDESTRIAN.TV that contestants are quietly being told to cool their jets when it comes to profit expectations. Because while the homes look absolutely stunning on TV, potential buyers are reportedly nervous about those multimillion-dollar price tags in a town where the median house price is just $820k.
“There’s real hesitation this year,” one insider spills. “People love the show but they’re not sure these multimillion-dollar builds make sense for Daylesford’s market.”
Sound familiar? It should. We’ve seen this movie before. Remember Phillip Island, when local prices were miles below the listing guides? That season was saved by billionaire bidder Adrian Portelli, who rolled in with a cheque book thicker than Scott Cam’s tool belt and bought multiple homes himself.
“Adrian’s presence last year changed everything,” says one source. “He gave the market confidence because everyone knew there was a big spender in the room.”
This year? Yeah, not so much. Adrian’s not coming back, and the powers that be are reportedly sweating bullets over who’s going to throw money around this time.
To avoid a total flop, producers are apparently toying with a few new tricks, like letting teams knock down their reserve prices before the big day to get buyers fighting it out.
“It’s a clever move,” one insider explains. “Even shaving a little off the reserves could create competition and make sure every house gets sold.”
Producers are apparently bracing for a “realistic” finale, knowing full well those seven-figure windfalls from past seasons (hi Gisborne, hi Phillip Island) will not happen again.
And the numbers aren’t lying: Daylesford house prices have dropped 6.3 per cent in the past year, according to Domain.
But over the last five years, they’re still up 26.6 per cent, which is cute and all, but still not quite enough to justify the $3–$3.3 million price guides slapped on these five homes.
So yeah, it’s giving high hopes, low offers.
Early chatter suggests each couple could pocket anywhere from $100k to $500k, depending on who gets lucky and how rowdy the bidding gets. A solid payday for mere mortals, sure but a farcry from those million-dollar profits The Block used to flex.
“There’s no clear favourite this year,” says an insider. “It’ll come down to emotion, timing and whether Daylesford’s charm is enough to spark a bidding war.”
And as auction day creeps closer, even the most confident contestants are starting to sweat.
The Block continues tonight and tomorrow night, with the finale airing this Sunday.
The post The Block Is Apparently Bracing For A V Different Finale This Year: ‘Real Hesitation’ appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
