Contestants Emma and Ben were among those rocked by shocking auction results on last year’s season of The Block.
The two Daylesford homes that failed to sell at The Block’s auctions last year will be up for grabs at half what the show paid to build them as the next season kicks off tonight.
It comes as agents still working on the sale after the 2025 season’s high-profile auction flops have revealed they’re now optimistic recent price cuts of about $400,000 for the homes will be enough to get them sold before this year’s auctions later in spring.
The cut has effectively guaranteed there is no chance for the contestants behind the two languishing listings to make any prize money from their time on the show.
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A little over a month ago 4 Cedar Lane, renovated by Hannah (Han) Thetford and Candice (Can) Wood last year, had its asking price cut to $2.59m by The Block’s producers, who still own the properties more than eight months after the show ended with the address failing under the hammer.
A BMT depreciation schedule for the home suggested the build, fixtures and finishes, could equate to almost $5.466m in tax deductions over decades of ownership by an investor.
The schedules are generally analogous with the cost of renovations and building works.
The Block contestants Emma and Ben have sold their own home since the one they renovated on the 2025 season of the show failed to go under the hammer.
The Block 2025 contestants Han and Can also had to watch their efforts come to nothing as their property pass in on a vendor bid. Picture: Channel 9.
At No. 5, the residence overhauled by Ben and Emma Cox is now seeking a sale at $2.6m.
When the show’s finale aired last year they received an offer of $2.97m, but it was below the $2.99m reserve (also the reserve for No. 4) and a vendor bid of $3.1m that followed was the last offer made before it passed in.
The pair have since revealed they sold their own home in Mornington not far from where this season’s homes were built in Mt Eliza, after failing to win any prize money from their time on the show.
Their home’s deduction value was rated by BMT at about $5.474m.
A third home, at 2 Cedar Lane that was renovated by Sonny and Alicia Aplin on the show, is also now back up for sale with a $2.9m-$3m price guide after selling on the show for $3.06m in the finale last year.
The impressive residence at 5 Cedar Lane remains for sale at a hefty discount to what it cost The Block to create it.
4 Cedar Lane, Daylesford, is also still up for grabs at under half what it cost to build.
Belle Property Daylesford’s Will Walton is working on the sale of 4 Cedar Lane and said since the price cut they had noticed a pronounced uptick in inquiry from buyers.
“The issue is that here, nothing sells quickly; our days on market are in some cases up to 18 months,” Mr Walton said.
“However there’s been a much larger range of inquiry in the last few weeks from people who are looking to transition into retirement.
“I would be expecting from initial inquiry at the moment it’s looking positive. Before the next auction day, I would hope to see ours sold.”
He added that while prospective buyers were not necessarily looking at the homes for the value for money against the build cost, they were “pointing that out to people”.
Inside the home at 5 Cedar Lane.
The 4 Cedar Lane residence has a low-maintenance, but eye-catching garden perfect for a weekend getaway or home away from home.
“That’s not the reason people are contacting us, but it’s certainly helping once they do get an understanding of it.”
Ray White’s Aaron Hill is handling inquiries for 5 Cedar Lane and said when the homes had initially been auctioned he was expecting a Melbourne family looking for a weekender would be the most likely buyer, and he was still expecting that to be the case — but would not discuss a timeline for when he thought it would sell.
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MORE: The Block’s Emma and Ben sell Mornington home for $1.86m after 2025 auction fail