As competition on The Block NZ Season 10 starts to get serious, former winner Caleb Pearson told OneRoof that being in the show had boosted passion for property.
Pearson, with wife Alice, won the second season of the series in 2013, after their renovated home, in Auckland's Belmont, sold for $1.126 million - $181,000 above the reserve.
The couple, then aged 26, had only done three renovations before and their efforts on the show saw them take home $261,000 in prize money.
Pearson said the winnings set the couple up financially, and set them on successful property careers.
Start your property search
Just before New Zealand went into lockdown in March 2020, Caleb realised his long-held dream of developing his own projects and quit his day job as a project manager.
He set up his own company, Waihanga Group, with quantity surveyor Logan James, and the pair built and sold a seven-home terrace development in Te Atatu Peninsula, in West Auckland, and are now launching their second project, nine terraces in the North Shore’s Browns Bay, called Eastwood Rise.
Caleb told OneRoof that The Block NZ was life-changing for both him and Alice. “We loved it on the The Block, we had a great time. It was incredibly hard work, but it was a lot of fun, like being on a school camp,” he said.
“Winning that money set us up, massively.”
While the Pearsons have done up 12 houses in 12 years – some to live in, some to sell – as well as hosted The Ultimate Reno in 2018, and founded Pearson+Projects, an online resource for DIY enthusiasts, developing property has always been the goal for Caleb.
An artist's impression of the terrace homes in Browns Bay, Auckland. Photo / Supplied
“We want people to feel this is not just any terrace home, but has really good design, good quality products and is more than they expected," he said.
“We want to be able to drive past in 10 years and be really proud of them."
The first three three-bedroom terrace homes have now been released, with prices starting at $1.15m. The remaining one two-bedroom and five three-bedroom homes will be released closer to the completion of building at the end of the year.
Building is well out of the ground for the two large blocks with a carpark forecourt on the edge of the Eastwood Rise cul de sac. Homes are mostly over 100sqm (one is 89 sqm) with sunny 12sqm courtyards. Each home has a single parking spot with conduiting to add charging for an electric vehicle if owners wanted to future-proof.
Inside the pair obsessed over details and finishes, devising three customisable interior finishes, one of which includes smoky green kitchen cabinets and brushed brass tapware throughout. They boosted lighting, appliances and taps, ventilation and insulation to achieve a Homestar 6 sustainability rating.
Mitchell Eades from Wallace and Stratton real estate, who is marketing the properties with Tamara Markovic, said that the homes are attracting interest not just from first home buyers but also from downsizers.
The terrace homes are already out of the ground. Photo / Supplied
“These are not similar to other terraces because of the flexibility to customise and the detail and finish. And you’re not paying a body corporate fee as you would for an apartment.
Pearson said that he and James are working through resource consents for their third project in nearby Red Beach, this time standalone houses with beach views.
He admits he and Alice, who now live in Hatfields Beach, north of Orewa, have done a couple of drive-bys to Ringi Lane, above Orewa, where season ten of The Block NZ is filming. “We had a great time, we’ve got lots of good memories,” he said.
