The producers of The Block NZ must be congratulating themselves for getting to the end of this year’s season without the lockdowns that rocked the last series – leading to an unprecedented and protracted Block of two halves.
In Orewa, just north of Auckland, the four new-build homes the teams have created will go to auction on September 17. Last year, the teams that took part in the show broke price records, selling at the height of the market in an Auckland suburb that was in demand.
- View this year's Block NZ homes: House 1; House 2; House 3; and House 4
This year, the four teams taking part in The Block NZ: Redemption – all returnees from previous seasons – are having to cope with a market that’s in decline and a city fringe location that’s on the up but unlikely to deliver $2m-plus sales.
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But as the teams know, the final sale price is the sole determining factor in the contest. Where the teams set their reserve will play a big part in how much profit they walk away with at the end of the show. OneRoof interviewed the contestants ahead of the auction to get the inside scoop on the reality TV show.
Q: Did having prior experience on Block NZ help?
Maree and James (House 3): Second time round definitely allows you to have more fun. You know what you are in for – and how hard it is. Knowing the process definitely helps ease some of the stresses. This time round, we’ve had a strong plan for how we want our house to look and feel. We now have a growing young family ourselves and having built our own home, we know the key essential elements.
Chloe and Ben (House 2): Being on the Block before definitely helped. We knew remaining loyal to our design aesthetic would be important. We had designed and 3D-modelled each space well before the week started and planning was paramount, so roles were delegated from the get-go.
Ben and Quinn (House 1): Since our last time on the Block, back in 2014, we’ve renovated three houses and designed and project managed a high-end new-build. We know what families need in a home to make life easy, which we think has given us an advantage.
Quinn and Ben believe their house has the best views and an advantage over all the others. Photo / Supplied
The team's expertise shows in their bedroom design. Photo / Supplied
Stacy and Adam (House 4): When it comes to time management, we learnt the first time around pretty quickly that if you divide, you conquer. Splitting roles efficiently and effectively essentially doubles the time you have throughout your day. Instead of 18 hours you get 36. The key thing about ‘moving on’ is that decisions have to all be made on Monday. You can’t be throwing in the towel on big ideas mid-week!
Q: Which room or area are you most proud of - and why?
Ben and Quinn: Our favourite space in the home – and most likely the best space on The Block – is our upstairs landing area. The design and layout have turned it into the ultimate chill-out zone. This room is unique to House 1 and we think there are families out there for whom this will be a game changer. It is a genuine second lounge, and parents and kids may well end up fighting over who gets it.
Chloe and Ben: Such a difficult choice but it would have to be either our landing or the living areas downstairs. Each display soft curves, minimalist shapes and earthy tones that inspire a calming atmosphere, while built-in elements present a purposeful use of space. Each area has been designed with ‘living moments’ in mind: lying on the window seat with a morning coffee or working on emails upstairs, while the kids pull toys out from under the seating.
Stacey and Adam went into the show with a plan to double the amount of work they could achieve. Photo / Supplied
The living spaces designed by the pair are standouts. Photo / Supplied
Maree and James: Our kitchen, bathroom and master are standouts, where we took time in planning each detail. The kitchen’s the heart of the home. It’s perfect for entertaining with high-end appliances and electric opening for high-use drawers. We love our beautiful plaster finish wall which is a huge visual and tactile drawcard. It’s a large-scale piece of art and you just can’t help touching it as you walk past. The completely dressed bed in the master suite is worth $17,000 and we chose the best tiles and bathroom fixtures, including a luxury stone composite bath.
Stacy and Adam: The downstairs area. House 4 is the only home to have an allocated entryway, as well as a desk or space for business house calls. The way the entryway is zoned – yet flows seamlessly to the expansive and largest kitchen on The Block – is a breath of fresh air, when entering.
Q: When was your darkest moment this season?
Maree and James: Missing our kids was the toughest and hearing in their voices that they were really missing us too.
Quinn: There was a moment that is yet to air where we were trying to get our design over the line. I felt alone at times persisting to achieve my goals and felt like I came up against barriers.
Ben: It would have to be the constant roadblocks put in place to trip me up with the polished concrete floor downstairs. But I’m very glad that I persisted and got it done in the end.
Chloe and Ben: Difficult to pick the darkest moment, but it would be towards the end. We were super ready to get home. It’s hard because we gave it our absolute all physically and mentally every day and it started taking its toll. We enjoyed the other teams’ company but also had to remember that it’s a competition and we’d come back for redemption, so we really pushed ourselves in the last couple of weeks.
Maree and James found being away from their kids hard. Photo / Supplied
The pair went for practical and comfort in their designs. Photo / Supplied
Stacy and Adam: Although we began three days early, master bedroom and ensuite week was our most challenging as both designers and contestants. Wallpapering the entire walk-in-wardrobe – decked out with an LED mirror, an automated opening skylight, and plastering the ceiling to create a sensuous calming space in the form of a lime and clay-based Japanese plaster has elevated this space and we paid meticulous attention to the tiling in the ensuite.
Q: Why should your house fetch the highest price at auction?
Ben and Quinn: Our home has the highest elevation, the most incredible views and twice as many windows as any of the other houses, so it has the best, light-filled rooms. It also has the most private backyard, the biggest chef's kitchen and it is the only house with a second lounge, a home gym, plus side access, underfloor heating in all wet areas, full-height doors, a makeup nook, and crucial extra room for a second car on the driveway.
Chloe and Ben: We won a lot of the challenges and put all that money back into the build, for a no-expense-spared, exemplary home. With a team budget of $150,000 we won many upgrades – putting our home’s value above the neighbouring houses. The multitude of bespoke elements, thoughtfully designed spaces, soft curves, and earthy tones bring a serene atmosphere as soon as you walk through the door. It’s a convergence of modern function, beautiful elements and meticulous attention to detail.
Maree and James: Our house is a beautiful, relaxing, and practical family home packed full of luxuries for the buyer. This includes a built-in alarm system, full opening skylights with block-out thermal blinds, solar power with the ability to add additional batteries and sell power back to the grid, plus ducted air conditioning. The house is future-proofed to grow with its owners, the garden and outdoor spaces provide a getaway feeling and summers in this home are going to be the best!
Chloe and Ben won many of the team challenges, but will that lead to auction victory? Photo / Supplied
The inviting snug created by the pair. Photo / Supplied
Stacy and Adam: Ours is a timelessly designed, classic home with all modern necessities, including sensor step lights to lead you safely up and down the hardwood staircase and through the hallways at night. Atmospheric and task lighting offers endless options for both mood and practicality. We have the most spacious and timeless kitchen design, a winning laundry/garage and generous bathrooms. House 4 is the only home to feature a working fireplace, using sustainable fuel. It’s a smart home, filled with the latest TV technology, including a waterproof TV, which is tucked away under the pergola.
- The Block NZ: Redemption airs on Three.
