Reality TV

How much do House Rules contestants get paid?

You get a renovated house but what about money?
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Every year on House Rules, we’re blown away by the incredible transformations and heartwarming stories and this season has been no exception.

With a big cash prize up for grabs, the six teams have their work cut out for them but how much do they actually earn during their time on the show? Let’s just put it this way, if you fancy applying we wouldn’t recommend quitting your day job.

Season six’s David and Chiara may have made it to third place but when it came to getting paid, their situation remained the same.

“Yes, you walk away with your house fully renovated,” Chiara told TV WEEK in 2018. “But unless you win any sort of money, the financials stay the same.

“Buying our first home, having a credit card refinanced, a car loan, this and that… we are just drowning in debt right now.”

Season six’s David and Chiara revealed that they faced money troubles after appearing on the show. (Image: Channel Seven)

While the 2019 grand prize money amount hasn’t been revealed just yet, last year’s winners Toad and Mandy scored a whopping $355,000. But that hasn’t always been the case.

For the first four seasons of House Rules, Channel Seven paid the mortgage of the winning team to the value of up to $520,000 but changed the prize after ratings reportedly dropped.

A Seven spokeswoman told TV Tonight in 2017, “We decided to make it a cash prize this year to give the winner the freedom to spend the money exactly how they wanted to.”

Watch what the 2018 finalists said they’d do with the prize money. Post continues…

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Thankfully for the contestants, they don’t have to dip into their own pockets for the various renovations but they do have to stick to a budget set by the television network.

But in a new twist this season, if you’re lucky to enough to win the Early Reveal challenge, you can pocket an extra five points and $5000 for the week but the cash isn’t for spending on themselves.

“An extra five grand allows you to buy some big-ticket items in your next reno so it’s a huge thing,” Shayn revealed this season.

READ MORE: House Rules‘ Shayn and Carly: ‘The truth about our relationship.’

An extra $5000 can make all the difference in the competition. (Image: Channel Seven)

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