The Block 2026: Live coverage of the auction – realestate.com.au

Welcome to our live coverage of The Block 2026 auction in Mount Eliza. Stay with us as the grand finale goes to air and we find out who will win The Block 2026.

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Courtney and Sev win The Block 2026

9:30pm

And that’s a wrap for the 22nd season of The Block in Mount Eliza.

It was a fantastic result for all five teams, with every single home selling under the hammer – a 100% clearance rate in what everyone warned was a tough market.

Courtney and Sev have won The Block 2026, taking home $1.27 million profit, plus the $100,000 winner’s prize, plus Scotty’s $500,000 Prize Pool – an actual swimming pool with cash and bonus prizes thrown in, including an $80,000 boat. That’s a total prize of $1.87 million.

In total, the contestants took home $3,470,000 in prizes between them. That’s a new Block record, smashing the previous record of $2.172 million set in 2021.

Channel 9 has already confirmed the location for 2027, with contestants heading to Sunbury on Melbourne’s northwest fringe to renovate three historic buildings in a former psychiatric hospital into five family homes.

House 5 sells for $4.355 million

9:07pm

This has to be the most hotly contested auction so far, with multiple bidders keen to grab the last remaining property on The Block.

Rick and Tayla’s Gen Z auctioneer works his magic with the crowd as they get lost in his youthful eyes and bid wildly.

In the end, the bidding slows to $1000 to $5000 increments, but the result is enormous. The home sells for $4.355 million, earning Rick and Tayla $905,000.

That means Courtney and Sev are the winners of The Block 2026!

Rick and Tayla are up with the final auction of The Block 2026.

9:03pm

It’s been a tough 12 weeks for these two, who only managed a room win in the final week, and Rick having to be barred from the tools due to an injury.

Scotty has some concerns about the age of their auctioneer, who he accuses of being 12 years old.

An opening bid $450,000 above the reserve gets things off to a fantastic start.

Danny is back with the maths. And the auctioneer counters with a tongue twister.

“The 12-year-old goes alright!” says Tayla.

Wyatt and Chantel‘s house sells for $3.817 million

8:59 pm

The buyers’ agents and Danny go back and forth to get things started.

Danny keeps things super confusing by bidding one amount, then minusing another figure off that. We’ve heard of using odd increments to keep other bidders, and the auctioneer, on their toes, but forcing everyone in the room, and Australia, to do mathematics this late on a Sunday evening is just cruel.

It’s pretty clear that the bidding for House 2 won’t quite reach the heights that the other properties have so far.

The crowd parts as Danny Wallis dramatically walks out of the room, making it immediately clear that he is done and dusted.

In the end the property sells for $3.827 million, earning Chantel and Wyatt $367,000.

House 3 sells for $4 million

8:43 pm

Lisa and Rosco’s house has sold for $4 million, resulting in $550,000 in prize money.

It’s another amazing result considering there was so much discussion about the potential that these auctions could fall flat.

So far, $2.275 million in prize money has been won across the first three auctions.

Wyatt and Chantel are up next. They didn’t manage to win a single room on the block. It could be something to do the the “vanilla vibe” Chantel says the home has. But she seems confident in the property they’ve delivered.

It’s the last chance for a buyer to secure an Uptown house.

Let’s see if their bold move to change the auction order at the last minute works out.

House 3 bidding kicks off

8:29pm

Danny kicks off the bidding, and he and Frank go head to head again.

Things are off to a good start, but the bidding slows in the $3.8 million range. Danny bids an extra 50c at one point.

At this stage it doesn’t look like it will challenge the $4.72 million that Courtney and Sev got for their place, but anything could happen.

One of the bidders asks to hold Lisa and Rosco’s newborn baby. Scotty eats a sandwich mid-auction. Great television.

House 4 sells for $4.72 million

8:24 pm

Courtney and Sev’s house has sold under the hammer for $4.72 million, resulting in a $1.27 million payday. Huuuuuuge.

Looks like the last-minute change to the auction order may have paid off.

The house was snapped up by the man in the puffer jacket, who seemed pretty serious about securing that property.

Their winnings are almost three times Adam and Jolene’s already impressive prize money. They’re well and truly in the lead.

Next up is Lisa and Rosco in House 3.

House 4 auction underway

8:11pm

Courtney and Sev’s auction is off to a cracking start – within seconds they’re in the lead as the bidding soars to $3.95 million.

Bidding soars past $4 million, with Danny Wallis’ irregular bids steamrolled by a sunglass-clad puffer jacket-wearing bidder from the back of the room.

As the top bid passes $4.5 million, the girls have collectively become instant millionaires.

There’s bewildered looks on everyone’s faces. It’s all a blur. Scotty winces as the girls scream in delight.

“You’ve blown away the market!” he says. What downturn?

House 1 sells for $3,905,000

7:59pm

Wow, a huge result for the first auction! Adam and Jolene’s House 1 has sold for $3,905,000.

That’s $455,000 above reserve. Tears of Joy stream down Adam and Jolene’s faces as the reality of their life-changing payday sets in.

The result means the cattle station managers will no longer have to work remotely away from their families.

It’s also great news for the remaining contestants, with a result almost half a million dollars above reserve proving there’s plenty of money in the room.

Interestingly, neither Frank Valentic nor Danny Wallis snapped up the property – Wallis would bid place such a round number after all. They don’t like going home empty handed, so we’re sure to see more action from these heavy-hitters at the next few auctions.

House 4 is up next after the last-minute change to the auction order. Courtney and Sev were favourites with the judges, racking up the most points throughout the season, so we’ll soon find out if the buyers agree.

House 1’s auction has begun

7:49pm

Jolene and Adam – sporting a freshly shaved face and a designer moustache courtesy of last year’s contestants, hairdressers Mat and Robby.

The auctioneer is Damien Cooley, a legend of the industry who is regularly flown around the country to sell high-end properties.

There are nine registered bidders, including several buyer’s agents and Danny Wallis, who lobs the opening bid at a classic Wallis-esque $3,500,000.52.

Within seconds the auction has climbed to $3.79 million as buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic and Wallis go head to head.

Damien Cooley grabs his gavel once the bidding passes $3.8 million – a common auctioneer’s strategy to make bidders feel as if the hammer is about to fall and the property will be sold. The bidding escalates further.

Last-minute change to the auction order

7:44pm

Quentin McEwing, Chantel and Wyatt’s agent, has approached Courtney and Sev suggesting a change to the auction order.

He’s suggested that House 4 now goes to auction second, which is exactly what Courtney and Sev wanted in the first place.

His justification is sound – he says they’re the favourites to win, and putting the strongest properties first gives the remaining properties the best chance of a strong result.

He also appeared a little concerned that if the auction for House 2 stalled, then that could affect the remaining auctions.

Also, Danny Wallis has arrived on site, as has a mystery “new Lambo guy” arriving in a gleaming purple Lamborghini.

The auction order has been revealed

7:36pm

After much deliberation, the auction order has been unveiled, and the properties will be going under the hammer in numerical order, starting with House 1 and finishing with House 5.

It almost came down to a forced dessert decider, which would have resulted in a different order.

House 1, 2 and 3 have the best views and have been tipped by the experts to be hotly contested by buyers with the biggest budgets. Traditionally, the contestants try to negotiate for the properties with the most to go first, with the idea being that a strong result will help establish value for the remaining properties.

Scotty also made the point that there are essentially two different buyer types: one group targeting Uptown houses 1, 2 and 3, and another seeking the more spacious Downtown houses 4 and 5.

Most of the contestants seem happy enough, except Lisa and Rosco, who really wanted to go second.

The reserves are revealed to the contestants

7:26pm

After a quick recap of the last few weeks, we’re onto the reserves, which have been “revealed” to the contestants in dramatic fashion – buried under a gourmet meal at Mornington Peninsula restaurant Laura. It’s not much of a surprise for the viewers though, given the reserves have already been revealed due to Victoria’s new auction laws.

There’s now some clarification on the reserves: all the reserves are $3.45 million, except Rick and Tayla’s House 5, which has a $3.5 million reserve – it does after all have a much larger block of land than the other properties.

However, deducting the $50,000 reserve reduction they won in the final week, it effectively makes all the reserves the same. That means contestants will take home any difference between $3.45 million and the amount their property sells for.

The conversation has now moved onto a tense discussion on the auction order. Scotty is keen to wrap things up before the restaurant kicks them out.

The Block finale has begun!

7:01pm

The wait is over. After 12 intense weeks, the moment we’ve all been waiting for has finally arrived – The Block finale has begun.

We’ll be following along as the action unfolds, so settle in and join us for all the key moments, surprises and talking points from the episode.

A key consideration for the contestants will be the auction order, which is expected to be revealed shortly.

The first house going under the hammer often has an advantage because every buyer is potentially competing. The first result will be crucial in establishing market value for the properties.

On the other hand, going in the middle can potentially be beneficial if a high baseline price has been established by the first property. However, there is the risk that the top bidder in the room has already purchased the first property, leaving less money in the room for the remaining houses.

The final auction will potentially be the most nerve-wracking for the last team. Will there be a sense of urgency among remaining to snap up the final home? Or will serious buyers have already bought their preferred property and left with the keys?

Or, will one wealthy investor swoop in and snap up all the properties at a huge premium like we saw in 2024, rendering the auction order pointless? We’ll soon find out.

What comes with a Block house?

6:47pm

Unlike a typical home sale, The Block houses are sold fully furnished, with everything included. That means all the beds, sofas, appliances, artwork, cushions, vases, pot plants, deckchairs and barbecues are thrown in with the sale.

On top of that there are few extras this year. House 1 includes a $30,000 bar of gold for whoever buys the house, while House 4 has $250,000 worth of luxury appliances that Courtney and Sev won in week two.

A few of the houses incorporated unique features that not every property has. Houses 1, 2 and 3 include backyard saunas, and House 2 has an outdoor bath carved from natural stone.

House 3 includes a Stratco entertaining shed featuring an Argentinian grill, kegerator, 50-inch TV and pizza oven. It’s also the only house with a front fence with an electric gate.

House 4 has a unique marble pendant light developed with Beacon Lighting, and the addition of a kitchenette in one of its bedrooms turned it into a guest suite.

Houses 1 and 2 have wine storage, although House 4 has a much larger, and controversial, wine cellar. House 5 has dual wine fridges.

Which Mount Eliza properties are The Block houses competing against?

6:23pm

The five Block homes aren’t the only high-end properties on the market in Mount Eliza, with 24 properties currently listed for sale on realestate.com.au with price guides of $3.5 million or more.

Here’s a selection of the properties that wealthy buyers could purchase in Mount Eliza if they don’t fancy one of The Block houses.

Occupying a prime position just footsteps from the water, this five-bedroom house at 1 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza features spectacular water views across the bay. Its dual-level layout includes multiple living areas, five bathrooms and a wraparound deck. It’s on the market with a $3.5-3.8 million price guide.

Tucked away in a cul-de-sac just down the road from The Block site is this five-bedder at a 1 Archer Close, Mount Eliza. The U-shaped layout surrounds a magnesium pool, while the lush gardens turn the home into the ideal coastal retreat. It has a $3.6-3.96 million price guide.

Buyers with a little more to spend could check out 42 Koornalla Crescent, Mount Eliza. The newly built, architect-designed home is footsteps from the water and features modern and minimalist interiors with ample natural stone, warm timber cabinetry and lush lawns surrounding a pool. It’s advertised for $3.985-4.383 million.

Renovators inspired by The Block might be interested in 10 Kunyung Road, Mount Eliza. The four-bedroom 1970s-style home is in original condition, meaning it could make the perfect blank slate for a full transformation or rebuild. It has a $5.9-6.2 million price guide, thanks to its waterfront position above the beach.

What happens if the houses don’t sell?

5:54pm

If bidding for a house doesn’t reach the reserve price, it passes in and the agent negotiates with the highest bidder.

Contestants only get paid if the property passes reserve, so if the bidding falls short, they go home empty handed after a gruelling 12-week slog. Ouch.

Last year’s auctions showed just how painful that can be. Emma and Ben’s and Han and Can’s houses were both passed in and sat on the market for nine months before Danny Wallis eventually snapped them up at a big discount.

There have been 12 properties passed in at auction across the 22 seasons of The Block.

Melbourne’s auction clearance rate this weekend was 52%, based on 415 recorded results.

There were 131 properties that sold at auction, 75 properties that sold prior to auction and eight properties that sold after auction. Meanwhile, 131 properties passed in, and 70 properties were withdrawn from auction.

If The Block auctions unfold anything like the wider auction market this weekend, we could potentially see several properties fail to sell under the hammer. That said, The Block properties are somewhat of a micromarket, so auction clearance rates can’t be considered an accurate predictor of what might happen.

Who will buy The Block properties?

5:24pm

Familiar faces are likely to appear at this year’s The Block auctions, including wealthy investors and buyer’s advocates.

Tech entrepreneur Danny Wallis is a regular Block bidder and has snapped up 14 properties renovated on the show over the years.

He bought Robby and Mat’s house at auction last year, and subsequently purchased the two properties that passed in for $2.15 million each – a $840,000 discount to the reserve prices.

Adrian Portelli, who bought all five houses in the 2024 season, three houses in the 2023 season and one in the 2022 season, is not expected to make an appearance this year, having declared that he’s put down the paddle for good, joining Channel Seven’s rival renovating show My Reno Rules.

Buyer’s advocates Frank Valentic, Nicole Jacobs, Greville Pabst and Mark Errichiello have been mainstays at recent auctions and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them raise a paddle this year.

As for the buyers themselves, Ms Jacobs said it was likely that investors would take home the keys.

Being new builds, The Block properties will be relatively insulated from the tax changes announced in the federal budget in May. Under the new rules, buyers of new residential properties can continue to take advantage of negative gearing and the 50% capital gains tax discount, which will no longer be available for established properties.

Auction reserves – $3.45 million for every house

5:05pm

Reserves for The Block’s Mount Eliza homes have been revealed before the auction – a twist that came about as result of the new price transparency laws rolled out in Victoria this year.

The new laws require vendors to publish a reserve price at least a week before the auction date – a move aimed at stamping out underquoting.

Each house has a reserve price of $3.45 million – a figure that’s double Mount Eliza’s median house price of $1.72 million.

A reserve price is the minimum amount a seller is willing to accept for a home sold at auction. Once bidding passes the reserve, the property is considered “on the market” and will be sold to the highest bidder once hammer falls and the auctioneer declares the property sold.

The Block contestants get to take 100% of the money that their house sells for above the reserve price, with the contestants who achieve the highest result above reserve taking home an extra $100,000 in cash.

Rick and Tayla in House 5 have an ace up their sleeve – by winning the final week of The Block, they get a $50,000 reduction off their reserve price. That could be a game changer if the properties struggle once bidding nears the lofty reserves.

Leaderboard – who has the most points overall?

4:53pm

Based on the total number of points accrued over this season, Courtney and Sev in House 4 came out on top, with a grand total of 317.25 points out of a maximum 370 across all 12 weeks.

That put them only 4.25 points ahead Adam and Jolene in House 1, who have scored 313 points overall. It’s amazing that the competition between these two teams has remained so close after 12 weeks.

In third place is Lisa and Rosco in House 3 with 297 points, followed by Chantel and Wyatt in house 2 on 281.75 points.

In last place was Rick and Tayla in House 5 with 272 points. The pair only managed to win one week all season, and became notorious for failing to finish several rooms in time, resulting in several weeks with lower scores.

However, there’s some nuance to the numbers. Although Courtney and Sev accrued the most points as a team, when it comes to the actual houses, House 1 comes out on top.

That’s because Courtney and Sev won week 1, which gave them the right to swap houses if they chose to do so. They decided to swap with Lisa and Rosco, gifting them a 26-point guest room, and taking on Lisa and Rosco’s 19.5-point guest room. That means the total number of points scored by House 4 was 310.75, putting it just behind House 1 on 313 points. Either way, there’s little between these two teams, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out on the auction floor.

Expert predictions – who will win The Block 2026?

4:32pm

The view is expected to be a major factor that could sway the bidding, according to the experts.

Buyer’s advocate Nicole Jacobs, a frequent bidder at The Block auctions, says success will come down to what buyers prioritise.

Family buyers seeking more land or a natural floor plan would be keen on houses 4 and 5, she said, but Courtney and Sev’s House 4 would appeal to buyers seeking a bigger depreciation schedule as it’s packed with high-end appliances.

Judge Darren Palmer said he was most impressed by House 1, describing it as “a luxury home that’s really appropriate for the area.”

Buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic said the views would be an advantage, and Mount Eliza’s coastal position could help the homes sell better than last year’s auctions in Daylesford.

However, he warned that this year’s interest rate rises and a reduction in investor demand since the federal budget had created tougher selling conditions.

Who won The Block last year?

4:16pm

Western Australian police officers Britt and Taz won The Block 2025 when their Daylesford house sold for $3.41 million, which was $420,000 above reserve. They pocketed the $420,000, as well as the $100,000 winner’s prize, taking their total winnings to $520,000.

Sonny and Alicia came in second place, with their home selling for $3.06 million. They took home $120,000, thanks in part to their reserve being reduced by $50,000 because they won the final week.

Robby and Mat came in third place, pocketing $109,999.10 after their house sold for $3,099,999.10. The unusual winning bid came from serial Block bidder Danny Wallis, who has purchased 14 properties across multiple seasons of The Block, frequently bidding in irregular increments.

The remaining contestants, Melbourne couple Emma and Ben and Perth couple Han and Can, went home empty handed after their properties were passed in at auction.

The total of $749,999.10 in prize money was the lowest amount handed out since 2011. The high $2.99 million reserve prices likely played a part in the somewhat disappointing result – at the time of the auction, Daylesford’s median house price was $820,000.

The Block 2026 auction is here

4:02pm

Welcome to our live coverage of The Block 2026. Before we get underway, a quick disclaimer: realestate.com.au is not a sponsor of, or otherwise affiliated with The Block.

With that out of the way, let’s have a quick recap of this season so far.

This year, The Block landed in Mount Eliza, an upmarket suburb on the Mornington Peninsula, about 60km southeast of the Melbourne CBD.

For the second season in a row, contestants have been tasked with brand new builds, although unlike last year, the floorplans are not identical.

The street, Mackillop Place, is split into an “Uptown” section consisting of Houses 1, 2 and 3, and a “Downtown” section with houses 4 and 5.

Houses 1-3 are elevated two-storey homes, and for the first time in the show’s history, include water views. Houses 4 and 5 are lower on the site and have a more spread-out dual-level layout, with a larger ground floor and smaller first floor.

Houses 1-4 are on blocks of land 1000-1089sqm in size, while House 5 has the largest block at 1435sqm.

Adam and Jolene’s House 1 takes advantage of its Uptown position, capturing water views across Port Phillip Bay. The house exudes “quiet luxury” with a warm and relaxed vibe, textured render walls and natural timber and stone inside and out.

Chantel and Wyatt’s House 2 shares similar sweeping water views to House 1, and has a light and bright coastal feel. While the Gold Coast couple were criticised throughout the season for being “too beige”, the style could give the house broad appeal.

Lisa and Rosco’s House 3 has a slightly moodier feel than the others, with rich timber cabinetry and dark accents throughout. Positioned on the edge of the site, it includes a greener outlook thanks to the borrowed landscaping of the neighbouring property.

Courtney and Sev’s House 4 is the entertainer’s pad, featuring a kitchen with $250,000 worth of appliances included. It also has a slightly reworked floorplan, with the inclusion of a kitchenette in one of the bedrooms transforming it into a guest suite.

Rick and Tayla’s House 5 has the largest land size of the five houses, with the extra space mostly occupied by lush green lawns. It’s expected to be a hit with family buyers seeking plenty of space to spread out.

realestate.com.au is not a sponsor of, or otherwise affiliated with The Block.

Room reveal images were originally published on nine.com.au/TheBlock.