Viewers fear history could be repeating itself on this season of The Block.
“Can we just say now, these houses aren’t selling at auction – or maybe one or two do, and then they will be picked up well down the track for a lot less,” one surmised online.
And an insider tells Woman’s Day TV execs have the same concerns.
Nine is reportedly pulling out all stops to avoid another devastating auction disaster, with insiders revealing there is a growing feeling some of this year’s homes in Mount Eliza, Vic, could struggle when they go under the hammer.
D-day approaching
After the heartbreak of 2025, when two properties failed to sell at auction, sources say there is enormous pressure behind the scenes to ensure the same doesn’t happen this year.
And with the October 31 auctions fast approaching, Woman’s Day understands the race to secure serious buyers has kicked into overdrive.
“There is a lot riding on this auction,” an insider reveals.
“Nobody wants to see contestants walk away with nothing again. After everything they’ve put into these houses, having properties passed in would be the worst possible ending.”
But while all five teams entered the competition dreaming of a life-changing payday, insiders say the reality facing them on auction day could look dramatically different.
According to the TV insider, at the centre of concerns is House 5, belonging to father-daughter duo Rick and Tayla.
“They just haven’t had the interest that some of the other houses have generated and there’s a genuine fear about what happens if they don’t get enough bidders in that room,” says the source.
Nightmare scenario
The outlook looks even more grim after serial Block bidder Melbourne businessman Danny Wallis’ brutal assessment during the recent Open For Inspection episode.
After touring Rick and Tayla’s property, Danny declared it his “wooden spoon” and predicted it would be a “cheap one”, before declining Scott Cam’s invitation to continue looking through the property.
The buyers’ jury wasn’t much kinder, with House 5 attracting just 15 per cent of the Open for Inspection vote.
Now insiders say the priority is finding enough genuine interest before auction day to prevent the nightmare scenario of the property being passed in.
There are also concerns surrounding Lisa and Rosco’s House 3. The Perth couple have enjoyed some impressive scores from the judges throughout the competition and recently came agonisingly close to a perfect score.
But insiders say translating positive feedback inside the competition into genuine multimillion-dollar buyer interest is an entirely different challenge.
All five properties hit the market, with price guides of $3.6 million to $3.9 million, meaning the teams are competing for a relatively small pool of prestige buyers.
“That’s the scary part,” adds the insider. “You can have thousands of people tell you they love your house, but you only need to be missing one serious bidder for an auction to fall apart.”
“Looking critically at these so-called luxury houses, they’re not worth their reserve prices,” one viewer commented.
“The only way they’ll sell at auction is as they have in previous seasons. That is, if someone is willing to pay above market value for these properties. Someone rich, attention-seeking, like Danny Wallis, maybe.”
Wrap party drama!
While they’re all playing nice in the sharehouse on screen this week, a source says the rivalry between Courtney and Sev and Adam and Jolene is back at boiling point, after the contestants returned to their properties ahead of auction day.
“Courtney and Sev didn’t realise just how competitive they had become during filming,” says an insider. “They’ve spent a lot of time since the show trying to repair relationships.
“But now they’re back at The Block, it’s like someone has flicked a switch. They’re competitive, secretive and seem determined to win at any cost.”
And we’re told Nine is now preparing separate wrap party celebrations for the houses following the auctions amid concerns about how contestants might react to the results.
“There’s a lot of emotion tied up in the outcome. If the wrong team wins in the eyes of the others, things could turn nasty pretty quickly,” says the insider.
And the decision to keep the celebrations separate speaks volumes about just how fragile some of the relationships have become.
“Everyone wants to see the houses sell and the contestants make money,” the source adds. “But there’s a difference between being happy for someone and having to stand there celebrating when you feel they’ve spent the entire season trying to outdo you.”
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