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Well, we’ve all made it through to the final reveal of the season – and this week the contestants presented their front gardens, facades, and hallways to the judges. Looking back, it’s been a season like no other, we've witnessed a wide range of experiences, from intense storms that escalated into cyclones, wreaking havoc on the work sites during the initial weeks, to tumultuous emotional storms that tore through relationships with friends and neighbours. So, how did it finish up?
Final Scores:
1st - House 2: Leah and Ash with 39 points
2nd - House 4: Steph and Gian with 38.5 points
3rd - House 3: Kristy and Brett with 35 points
4th - House 5: Eliza and Liberty with 34.5 points
5th - House 1: Kylie and Leslie with 32.5 points
THE BLOCK FRONT YARD WINNER – LEAH & ASH
This week, Leah and Ash finally used the gnome they had cleverly saved for three weeks to win the Ford Mustang Mach-E, the electric car that all the teams had been vying for!
The judges’ faces immediately burst into smiles when they walked into the front yard. Marty loved the battens on the façade. "How impressive is that wall? How impressive is that architecture? How impressive is that car? The colour palette? How impressive is that?" Darren beamed. "It is absolutely stunning."
The judges were taken aback by the contour 3D-printed fence that Block architect Julian Brenchley had designed for the house – a first of its kind and a first for Australia. "I've never seen that before so every single buyer that attends this open for inspection will be blown away," Marty commented. "It's got such personality." They all loved the curved, basket weave pattern and the plants on top of the fence, which the judges thought was "a real showstopper".
Marty thought the front yard and façade was perfection. "The moment you walk into this property you just feel that there's so much finesse but it's not overdone," he commented. "It is understated luxury."
The judges loved the car turntable, the garage, and particularly the fact that they had painted the garage floor. "This flooring just complements what is outside so much better and it just shows how unfinished House 1 felt," Marty noted.
"This is a special house and Marty said it's going to be hard to beat today," Scotty read out the feedback at Block HQ. Leah and Ash were pleased with the judges' comments. "I honestly feel like we did enough this week. We worked super duper hard," Ash said.
STEPH & GIAN
Steph and Gian had the biggest front yard this week, and luckily, they had picked up an extra $163,000 in competition winnings over the season. Plus, the couple had a secret ace up their sleeves - earlier in the week they spent $5,000 to purchase Kyle & Leslie's gnome.
Their finished design featured a stacked stone fence and chimney, three gates, off-street parking for six cars, many pathways, and beautiful pavers all finished with an abundance of carefully selected plants.
"There's a very obvious architectural thought process that I am trying to convey in this front yard," began Steph. "Without a doubt, we have the absolute best grounds, the biggest presence on the street... you can't compete." Was she being a bit cocky, or did the judges agree?
"Well, this is an absolute showstopper," Marty beamed. "This is just incredible. Look at that stone-stacked chimney," he continued. "Look at the width... this is additional parking on this side as well." And there were similar positive reactions from the other judges. Marty couldn’t stop raving "Looked how they've lucked in, they've got a mature Magnolia at the front," pointed out Marty. "They've got the Gum at the rear..."
Guest judge Dave Franklin said: "The one thing I love is that they've used that old-school pebble, so it gives that old charm. The other thing is you've got that travertine paving here. When you're using something like that, you've got a high-class finish." He also thought the planting was excellent. "This is something I get really excited about," he began. "You've got something for every season in this garden," he said as he recited the Latin names of the plants chosen. "Everything of this will grow at its different strength to each season."
"Everything about this house just says warmth, inviting, 'come and see me'," Shaynna commented.
Dave said it’s "one of the best gardens on The Block". Marty said they were the team to beat in this competition. "It's just so unique, so finessed ... a lot of people in the marketplace are paying big bucks for this type of finish. I think this home has a lot of soul," he stated. It seems that all the judges did agree with Steph’s comments.
KRISTY & BRETT
After troubles with their landscaper during Backyard week, Kristy and Brett turned to neighours Kylie and Leslie's landscaper for help with their front yard and façade - they were happy with their finished result and particularly pleased with their deck area.
Shaynna adored the transition from the driveway to the front garden. "I love the fact that you come from this little private area, it almost looks like a townhouse, and then get open to this big expanse here," she said. "What a celebration of space!"
Darren was impressed by the façade exterior of the house, "Look at this façade. Look at every single elevation facing the street, the front with that overhang, that sort of cantilever section," he commented.
Marty gave a realtor’s perspective; he thought the space was "very versatile". "This is a space where you imagine making a coffee in the morning and coming outside sitting on your deck in that beautiful easterly sun streaming through," he said. "What a functional space!"
Guest judge Dave admitted he had been very tough on the backyard they presented last week, but was impressed this week. He knew they had a limited budget and commented positively on their choice of plants. "When I walk in, I feel calm – I feel like I'm in a garden," he said. "A good landscape is a balance of hard and soft and that's what they've done."
They all loved the simple, sleek garage and the epoxy flooring and Marty commented “That quirky floor plan is showing that it's very practical for the buyers in the market and would suit multigenerational living which so many buyers are looking for right now," he said. Marty summed up the finished product by saying: "There's nothing in this entire property that will really turn any buyers off it and that's what's unique. Appeal to the masses and you tend to get the highest amount of money."
Auction day will be the test of his theory!
ELIZA & LIBERTY
Eliza and Liberty delivered a contemporary front yard with a water feature. "This week we made the impossible, possible," Eliza said with confidence.
"Look at the original part of the house, but with this other shape to it!" Shaynna praised. Marty was quick to point out the "incredible" timber-clad garage door, which all the judges thought was "the best on The Block today". Dave loved the planting of a cherry tree in the grassed area. "This is something where you can't just go out and say, 'Righty ho. Let's go out and buy a tree,'" Dave explained. "This takes a lot of time. Come auction time, this is going to be the perfect time when it's flowering, and it's going to be absolutely stunning."
The most negative comments centered around the narrow walkway to the front entrance, but when the judges arrived at the entrance, they were pleasantly surprised. "This is what buyers love. This is spacious; it is a big family home," Marty beamed as he stepped inside. "You cannot underestimate what this house offers to the buyers in terms of floor plan and space." "This is just the quintessential bayside family home," Marty added. "This is the biggest family home on The Block, and I think that's really important."
We won’t know until the auction – is bigger better?
KYLE & LESLIE
Kyle and Leslie had the lowest budget of all the teams and even had to sell their gnome so they could finish. Their simple design may have been dictated by their budget – a lawned area, established plants for impact, a pergola at the front door, and another turntable driveaway. Will their "simple plan" score big points?
"I love the sound of the water feature as soon as you walk in," smiled Shaynna and Marty commented: "How's the turntable!" Shaynna went on "But how good is this, you've got this tight entry, you've got a double garage, you can put your cars in, drive here and turn around, and off you go. It's perfection."
Marty said, "We all know first impressions count, and this is a really good first impression." "The structure of the entry, everything here for me, is just a beautiful start for the buyer to walk into this home," praised Marty. But he wasn’t a fan of the dark grey paint. "It just doesn't seem to fit," Marty said. "Maybe a lighter colour like an oat matching the brickwork probably would have been a better choice." Back at Block HQ, Kyle and Leslie revealed it was host Scott Cam who suggested they paint it dark grey. "I think it was me, I've never given anyone advice on colour... except that day. Sorry," Scott laughed.
Darren loved the white Colourbond cladding "You've got all these diagonal lines and everything's angular and geometric," Darren began. "Then you've got the softness of the curves, the grass and the planting... "It's a really nice juxtaposition."
Dave would have liked a large tree in the corner, and also liked some Star Jasmine or Wisteria over the top of the pergola. "Just the front here looks a little bland," he commented. "I'd be trying to cover up all the brickwork because, to me, it's all chipped. It should all be redone."
Marty had some positive and negative comments on the garage. "You can do some incredible storage along the back wall and on the side," he said. "An epoxy floor would have a much nicer look and feel”, he added.
So, more positive than negative comments from the judges.
Well, with all the ups and downs of the season – it all comes down to one day. What will auction day bring? Who will be the winner? Will it be one of the teams who has won the most weeks or will it be a team that has given careful thought to what the potential buyers will be looking for? We can’t wait to see what happens next week.
Photography by David Cook. All products available through The Block Shop.
