Fans flock around the Block
Thousands queue for peek inside TV show homes before they go to auction
Thousands of people lined up to see The Block NZ houses yesterday during the first public open home. Fans of the popular renovation TV series had a chance to go through the finished Hobsonville Point properties and even meet the four starring teams; Amy and Stu, Chlo and Em, Ben and Tom and Claire and Agni.
Those wanting a sneak peek joined long queues that filed through the homes between 9am and 2pm viewing the living, kitchen, bathroom, and outdoor areas. However, the top floors of the homes were off limits to keep the queues moving swiftly.
Organisers expected about 4000 people throughout the day.
The seventh season of the show has been running since July 8, with the houses going to auction on September 30.
Real estate agency Ray White has put the homes on the market with the listings for 21, 23, 25 and 27 Frances Bryers Rd going live in the last week.
Amy and Stu’s house at 27 Frances Bryers Rd is described in the marketing material as having a visionary study nook and reading retreat and bold tasteful colour choices.
The house appeared to be the judges’ favourite, celebrating the most room wins.
“Every design decision in this
The houses are to be auctioned on September 30 at the Grand Millennium in Auckland at 7pm.
house . . . exemplifies cutting-edge style and liveability.”
Chlo and Em’s agents described their house, 25 Frances Bryers Rd, as being styled to designer perfection with a wonderful family zone.
Other highlights of the house include a powder room, skylight over the bath and the internal access garage with electric car charger.
Auckland friends Ben and Tom’s house at 23 Frances Bryers Rd is described as triple-level living with the most skylights on The Block. It also has a “mind-blowing” bathroom and lots of sun from the huge light well.
While 21 Frances Bryers Rd, created by Hamilton couple Claire and Agni, has a kitchen that is a busy family’s dream come true as the mess can be hidden in its large butler’s pantry. “Clever, timeless design will never go out of style,” the listing said.
For the first time on either The Block NZ or The Block Australia, bidders can bid remotely.
Gavl has partnered with the block to let potential buyers bid and watch the auctions live from wherever they are once they have pre-registered.
Back in July, four new teams of DIY enthusiasts descended on The Block NZ’s Hobsonville Point site, with a twinkle in their eye and a hopeful spring in their step.
Approximately 3000 episodes later, those same four teams are staggering down the home stretch towards auction night, fuelled by just a few snatched hours of sleep and bottomless cups of show sponsor coffee.
It would be safe to say Amy and Stu, Ben and Tom, Claire and Agni, and Chlo and Em have all learned a few hard lessons during their tenure on The Block.
And after spending more hours of my life than is probably healthy watching the show this year, I’ve discovered a few things, too:
DIY doesn’t mean squat
Just in case prospective contestants haven’t already taken note, successfully competing on The Block NZ is as much about winning random games of skill as it is about knowing which end of a hammer to hold.
If you’re planning on applying for any future seasons, it might pay to start practising the following: decorating cakes using power tools, creating paintings out of scraps of carpet, herding sheep using a human dressed as a sheepdog, and building towers out of marshmallows and noodles.
Blocked pipes are no fun for anyone
The proverbial well and truly hit the fan for a mortified Chlo and Em this year when they managed to block up their townhouse’s pipes in week four.
So, for the sake of the environment, the plumbers getting showered in sewage while cutting open blocked pipes, and the unfortunate viewers watching all this unfold while eating their dinner, may all future programme contestants mercifully think before they flush.
Sleep deprivation will mess with your brain
That’s the only conclusion I could come to when Amy and Stu hid their electrician in an alcove, so as to skirt the show’s strict 6pm Tools Down deadline during hallway week.
It really would have been the perfect crime for the Gizzy Hard crew, had it not been for those microphones attached to them and the cameras filming them.
There is such a thing as too many recessed shelves
I’m not exactly sure what the ideal number of recessed shelves in a bathroom is, but, thanks to Claire and Agni, I do know that nine is not it. And while we’re at it, let’s also agree now that ponga trees are best kept outside and not in the family bathroom.
MediaWorks has a new go-to star
What is it with David Seymour and MediaWorks’ reality TV stable this year?
Just a couple of months after hijacking Dancing With The Stars, the Act Party leader also stopped by The Block NZ to judge one of its 500 challenges. At this rate, don’t be surprised if Seymour winds up being one of the nervous grooms meeting his bride at the altar on Married at First Sight NZ too.
Beware those who appear to not know what they’re doing
Right from the start of this year’s The Block NZ, Amy and Stu looked like a shoo-in for the series win.
They snaffled the most coveted house and then proceeded to produce one impeccably finished room after another — even managing to score 21 out of a possible 20 at one point.
In contrast, childhood buddies Ben and Tom flailed around for nine weeks, making decisions that left all of us wondering exactly where Ben had found his architecture degree.
But then came kitchen week, where the boys finally pulled their entire house together with a simply stunning kitchen and dining space.
Sure, Ben and Tom’s house still features a void that looks quite terrifying (a sensation I imagine everyone enjoys feeling while walking around their home), but they’re suddenly giving early frontrunners Amy and Stu a run for their money.
A recent visit to the building site by former contestants Niki and Tiff wouldn’t have been that reassuring for the Gisborne couple either.
After also winning the majority of room reveals during their own season, Niki and Tiff finished last on auction night, while a couple of blokes (Sam and Emmett) walked away with the win.
Is history about to repeat on The Block NZ?At least it’s finally starting to look like a real competition.
May all future programme contestants mercifully think before they flush.