One of this year's Block NZ homes is back on the market for sale after a post-auction deal fell through.
The house worked on by contestants Quinn and Ben Alexandre was reported to have sold for $39,000 below its reserve of $1.199 million after passing during the show's grand finale.
The result saw the couple walking away from their second stint on the reality TV with nothing - a heart-breaking turn of events since they they only won $10,000 first time around.
The three-bedroom townhouse at 11 Ringi Lane, in Orewa, north of Auckland, is being sold by way of negotiation. Ray White agents Dylan and Zoe Turner declare in the listing ad that "dazzling light and luxe styling are waiting to impress at every turn".
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"House 1 from The Block NZ 2022 has come back to market, fully furnished as seen on TV. Don't miss out this time round."
The relisting of the home so soon after the show finished up is another twist in what was a dramatic but tragic season of the show, which saw losing teams from past Block seasons return to improve on their past performance.
Contestants Chloe Hes and Ben Speedy were crowned the winners, but their victory was bittersweet. Their stylish terrace house fetched $1.145 million at auction, just $4000 above the reserve – the smallest winning profit in the show’s 10-year history, and a harsh reflection of the change in the Auckland housing market.
11 Ringi Lane, in Orewa, Rodney, is for sale by way of negotiation. photo / Supplied
The friends, returning to compete in The Block after losing out in season seven, walked away with a $100,000 cash prize plus their auction profits.
Maree and James Steele sold their home at auction for $1,152,100, just $100 above the reserve - quite a comedown from the $147,000 they made in season three of the show, but at least they won the People’s Choice Award, decided by public vote, and took home a new Suzuki Vitara JLX, worth around $28,000.
Stacy and Adam Middleton revealed last month that they had the “perfect redemption” by purchasing the three-bedroom townhouse they had spent weeks renovating.
The couple paid the reserve price of $1.148 million after putting in an offer to buy it.
Mike Pero Orewa owner Lane Sanger told OneRoof last month that he thought the townhouse was good buying at $1.145m. In comparison a four-bedroom house on Paparahi Place in the same new Ara Hills subdivision sold at a Barfoot & Thompson auction for $1.22m.
Block 2019 star: The Auckland apartment at 3/516 New North Road, in Kingsland, is billed as having box-seat views of Eden Park. Photo / Supplied
Sanger estimated the price of townhouses in the area had dropped by about 20% and said there were townhouses on Orewa’s main road which had been on the market earlier in the year for about $1.4m and were now taking enquiries around several hundred thousand dollars less.
“I think it just shows you the lack of buyers verses the amount of available stock.”
11 Ringi Lane is not the only Block home on the market right now.
The winning apartment from the 2019 season of The Block NZ passed in at auction last week and is now back on the market with an asking price of $1.695 million.
The apartment at 3/516 New North Road, in Kingsland, Auckland, sold for $1.34m in The Block’s live auction finale three years ago, handing contestants Lisa Ridout and Chris “Ribz” Gordon a $150,000 win. It was the only property to turn a profit on the night.
When the property was on the show it attracted the judges’ negative attention, especially over the use of colour, but the original listing highlighted much that will be popular with today’s buyers: a home automation system, SmartTouch paint and an Eden Park outlook.
