The Sunday Herald Sun reports the new season may take place at a vacant block at Elsternwick in Melbourne’s south east. The property was purchased for $9.6 million in mid December by a company linked to Channel 9, with Nine CEO Hugh Marks listed as one of the directors. The company has since had plans for a five lot subdivision approved this week by Glen Eira City Council. Could the homes be built from scratch?
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Gives them an excuse to call this season the BIGGEST, yet again
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and it appears that the deal may be back on - Title documents show Channel 9 has bought the notorious Gatwick Hotel - realestate.com.au
I’m not convinced that nine have bought it based on the language used in the articles around today
Without getting all technical - what they have in effect is an interest in the land without ponying up any cash
It’s the vacant lot for this year and the hotel may be used next year.
Questions being asked about whether The Block can make money from this year’s sales in Elsternwick
What people have to remember is that this is a TV show, not a renovation business. The show make money from TV advertising and sponsorships, with the cost of the renovations covered almost entirely by sponsorships. The houses don’t have to sell for how much they cost for the show to make money, which is why the properties featured in The Block are often so unique.
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When they mentioned “period homes” in this year’s challenge, I don’t think anyone would have thought it would be weatherboard homes.
Didn’t Nine do something similar in the 1990s in a renovation show? Can’t remember what it was called or who hosted (perhaps Jo Silvagni?) but I remember they relocated some old weatherboard homes to vacant blocks and contestants worked on them.
Nine has confirmed it has bought St Kilda’s Gatwick Hotel for a future season of The Block.
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They’ll be hoping the next season doesn’t flop then. Imagine if it tanks and gets the axe.
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It’s not the first time they’ve bought property that far in advance.
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EP Julian Cress has told the Herald Sun that negotiations were progressing smoothly to find alternate accommodation for about 30 residents of the Gatwick Hotel and they are still planning to have the building ready for the 2018 season.
News Corp reports model Elyse Knowles and her partner Josh Barker is one of five teams competing in the new season of The Block set at Elsternwick.
If it tanks couldn’t they just resell the property. Anyhow the finale was the most watched reality last year so even if it declines they would likely give it another go.
they did this on the Block NZ a few years ago. it was on a corner block and one house had a diffrent street to the rest. the twist turned out that the house on the other street was worth a decent amount more because it’s in a diffrent school catchment.
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First promo for the new season aired tonight during The Voice.
Is it starting after The Voice or are we going to be subjected to three months of promos?
Two months of promos. It could start after the Australian Ninja Warrior.
There was a second promo which was more like a blooper, in which Scott Cam fell through the rotten wooden floor after saying his lines.
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The 13th series of Australia’s favourite and longest running reality program, THE BLOCK is coming soon to the Nine Network.
Scott Cam has never been more excited about The Block in his life, as he hosts the new series which will see five massive family homes rescued from demolition and transported to Elsternwick in south-east Melbourne.
Scotty says: “I’m really proud that we were able to save these houses from demolition and deliver the great Australian dream of a big, modern family home. The scale of this project is like nothing we’ve attempted before – we’re transforming a street and it sure is going to test our latest crop of Blockheads.”
These relics from a bygone era have been “Home Sweet Home” to Aussie families for generations.
Now these homes have all been cut down the middle, transported and painstakingly put back together on brand new foundations, ready to stand for another 90 years after The Block contestants lovingly restore them to their former glory – and then some.
The five eager new couples transforming these family homes are:
- Josh (28) and Elyse (24), dating for four years, from Melbourne, VIC
- Hannah (31) and Clint (33), married for five years, from Townsville, QLD
- Sticks (31) and Wombat (38), best mates for fifteen years, from South Coast, NSW
- Ronnie (41) and Georgia (33), married for six years, from Perth, WA
- Jason (46) and Sarah (45), married for eighteen years, from Melbourne, VIC
Scott Cam is joined by co-host Shelley Craft, along with judges Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer, “The Blockinator”, foreman Keith Schleiger, and his right-hand man, Dan Reilly.
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