The teams competing in this year’s return of The Block NZ have a big task ahead of them – figuring out Auckland house prices.
The reality TV show is set to air soon, new after a two-year-long pause in filming brought about by the Covid pandemic.
The setting for this year’s renovations is the hot Auckland suburb of Pt Chev, where house prices have jumped more than 37% in the last 12 months.
The suburb will be familiar to long-time Block fans. It’s where Alex and Corban Walls won season three of the show with a then record-smashing $1.552million sale.
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The four couples tasked with delivering daring designs this time round will have found the market has moved on quite a bit in the seven years since.
According to OneRoof figures, the median value for PtChev is just under $2m, with some houses in the suburb selling at auction for well over $3m. OneRoof spoke to the teams about their past home renovation experiences and asked them what they thought about Auckland’s booming housing market.
Team blue: Tim and Arthur, Auckland
Best friends since school, flatmates Tim and Arthur, both 26, believe they have the creative edge to create beautiful and interesting spaces.
Tim is a teacher aide and videographer, but spent two years as a builders apprentice, while Arthur is an accounts manager and musician who built a selection of bespoke ply furniture during lockdown.
Arthur describes Auckland house prices as being “steeper than Everest”, and says his experience with flipping properties is non-existent, ”unless you consider doing a forward flip off a house into a pool, a house flip”.
Tim adds, “I have confidence in our design and love the layout of our house, so I’m feeling reasonably sure that it will appeal to a broad market and we’ll do well at auction.” Neither owns a home.
Team Orange: Meg and Dan, Rangiora
The out-going couple own and operate a construction company, so aren't exactly renovation newbies.
Dan, 46, bought his first house in 2001 for $185,000 while Meg, 36, bought her first home in 2008 for $300,000.
“Being a builder, I’ve done a lot of renovations, my own included,” Dan says.
Asked about their chances of success on auction day, Dan is quite upbeat. “It all comes down to finding that person who loves the house as much as Meg and I do.”
They are enjoying their time in Pt Chev, telling OneRoof they’d definitely live in the area. “It’s so vibrant and close to everything – cafes, restaurants and the beach,” says Meg.
Team Purple: Janah and Rachel, Papamoa
The self-described ”fun mums” are both married to builders and have done plenty of renovations.
Rachel, 42, is ex-army and now a real estate agent selling in the Bay of Plenty, while Janah, 39, has a diploma in architectural technology and interior design. She is currently a ”domestic engineer” with two active little boys at home. The pair are both fans of great design.
“Pt Chev is a great suburb,” says Rachel. “I can’t tell you which house we’re in but I’m sure it will be attractive to buyers, with some unique selling points.”
Team Yellow: Dylan and Keegan, Greymouth
The two brothers call themselves Beauty and the Beast. Dylan, a banker with a degree in architectural studies, left his home town aged 18 and bought his first house, in Wellington, three years later for $500,000. Keegan, a qualified builder who still lives in Greymouth, bought his first home for $250,000.
Asked what they think of Auckland house prices, Dylan, 30, who lives near Pt Chev and loves it, says, “It is what it is.”
Keegan, the more fiery of the two, adds, “Crazy, stupid prices!"
