THE BLOCK’s Josh Barker and Elyse Knowles have won the reality TV renovation competition — all thanks to comedian Dave Hughes.
Hughes bought the couple’s five bedroom Regent Street property in Melbourne’s Elsternwick for $3.067 million at Saturday’s auction, the sale $447,000 over the $2.62 million reserve.
The young couple were the favourites to win the competition — and Hughesy’s eye-watering bid put them ahead of the other couples and scored them $100,000 in prizemoney.
The comedian had joked on his KIIS radio show in the lead-up to the auction that he’d like to purchase one of the properties on the reality show. But Josh and Elyse didn’t expect the star to snap up the house they had spent the last few months renovating.
“That’s life changing. Oh, breathe. I’m still like, ‘Oh, what happened?’,” Elyse said.
Host Scott Cam said Melbourne-based Hughes was a surprise bidder and only registered that morning.
“I don’t live too far away and I was driving past and I was thinking, ‘Gee, it’s a good spot, it’s a good house, it’s a good area. And now we own it,” Hughes said.
It’s been a lucrative year for Hughes, who recently jumped from KIIS to the Hit Network and left his gig hosting Channel Nine’s The Footy Show to front his own series on Network Ten. And it seems the casual purchase of a million dollar property was the perfect way to celebrate. It’s believed the comedian and his wife plan to use it as an investment property.
Sarah and Jason’s property at 46E Regent Street was the second to go under the hammer. It sold for $3.007 million, leaving the couple with a $387,000 profit.
The strong start to auction day took a turn and the other couples were not as lucky. With 1700 other properties going under the hammer, it was the highest number of auctions on a Saturday in Melbourne history. And the remaining homes took a hit.
While professional renovators Ronnie and Georgia — the show’s controversial couple who were accused of cheating — were second favourites to win, their dreams were quickly dashed.
“You just don’t want to be that couple who doesn’t sell,” Georgia said just hours before the auction. But, they were that couple with their property at 46C Regent Street passed in after failing to reach its $2.62 million reserve.
“Whatever happens, Scotty,” Ronnie said. “We won the minute we found out we were going to be on The Block and so it doesn’t matter.”
Moments later in a private negotiation, the home sold for $2.781 million, with the couple pocketing $161,000.
The profits continued to plummet for the other couples on auction day.
Sticks and Wombat’s home at 46B sold for $2.650 million, with the mates walking away with $130,000.
“It’s magic, what else can we do,” Wombat said. “Someone got a great home, I hope it’s a family.”
Hannah and Clint made the smallest profit of the day. Slated as the final auction, bidding struggled to get off the ground.
“I feel sick,” Scott Cam said, as moments passed without one paddle going in the air.
While bids soon started, the couple pocketed just $95,000 when their 46D property sold for $2.615 million.
“For 12 weeks of blood, sweat and tears to walk away with $95,000, it clears all our debts and gives us a really great opportunity to have a beautiful holiday we deserve,” Clint said.
The properties in Melbourne’s Elsternwick made this seriesthe biggest in the franchise’s history. The Block will return in 2018.
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