What has become of The Blocks do ups
If you were a fan of The Block New Zealand, you probably already know that Rachel and Tyson are pregnant, Ben Crawford has been seen cosying up to sexy Underbelly star Anna Hutchison, and Richard and Sarah have been the subject of almost daily rumours that they’ve split up. But whatever happened to their do ups? Get the latest here, as well as our breakthrough theory on why Rachel and Tyson lost.
Rachel and Tyson may have been the viewers’ favourite couple but, although there were some sour grapes about their loss, only 9% of people surveyed in a New Zealand Herald poll thought they should have won, while 82% felt Ben and Libby deserved to win. Hardly anyone (3%) wanted Sarah and Richard, who were the viewers’ least favourite couple because of their constant bitching at each other, to win.
Even New Zealand’s foremost renovation expert, Olly Newland, was at a loss to explain why Rachel and Tyson lost. “Sometimes it comes down to the colour of their cards on the day,” he said.
Rachel and Tyson's house transformation
While it’s true that Rachel and Tyson lacked the design flair of some of the other contestants, you only have to look at what happened on the latest series of The Block Australia, which screened in Australia before The Block New Zealand did here, to understand what happened. (Spoiler alert! Don’t read on if you’re glued to the series on TV3 every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the moment and don’t want to know the outcome in advance.)
Although the Aussie contestants made far more profit in total ($1.7 million) than their New Zealand counterparts, the same pattern unfolded at auction – the first auction made the most (a record-breaking $AU506,000), while the following auctions made progressively less until the last auction, which improved to $434,001.
Coincidence? We don’t think so. There are no other The Block New Zealand results to compare, but in The Block Australia the same pattern emerged in the 2010 series. (In 2011, all the houses were passed in at auction.)
Sarah and Richard's renovation
The inescapable conclusion, in our minds anyway, is that being first off the block (so to speak) gives contestants a clear advantage at auction. Being last also seems to be something of an advantage, but not if you’re just a couple of bungling enthusiasts like Rachel and Tyson. We can’t help but wonder, however, what would have happened if their auction had been first?
Not all the buyers of The Block New Zealand houses wanted their details to be made public, but two were okay with it.
Ginny and Rhys's renovation
Rachel and Tyson may have been the losers but the new owner of their house, Kristina Clements, clearly felt she was a winner for being the only buyer to pick up one of The Block houses at valuation. It meant she had enough money left over after the purchase to correct some of the mistakes she clearly felt Rachel and Tyson had made, spending $25,000 on repainting, recarpeting and replacing the ensuite bathroom, light fittings and furniture. “Making her mark on the property,” she generously called it.
Auckland couple Lisa and Stewart Hampton, who paid nearly $1 million for Ben and Libby’s house, have moved their company, Accounting 4 Rentals, into the house. They clearly felt the premium they paid of $157,000 above valuation was worth it for the massive exposure they received for their business, and no doubt have written it off as an expense on their books.
Ben and Libby's house transformation
Ben and Libby themselves used their new-found fame from The Block to catapult themselves into business for themselves in their own graphic design, marketing and branding company called, not surprisingly, Ben and Libby.
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