Exclusive: The official before shots of this year's Block houses as the contestants take their pick

In the end, on The Block it all comes down to the houses.

Despite the many trials and triumphs along the way, what the five houses sell for at auction is the biggest focus for our Blockheads.

This year marks a very different look than last year's rural Block. The Blockheads have been given five 1950s brick homes to transform… and 70-year- old homes bring a dollop of drama all on their own.

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But returning host Scott Cam reveals that this year's Block was "a little bit less stressful" than the mud-drenched, rain soaked one we saw last year in Gisborne.

Along with the challenges of building a house under an intense time frame, there are lots of laughs to be had and moments to inspire.

"Day one, the contestants are part of our Block family," Scott shares. "There are no ifs and buts about it, we care about them and we want them to have a good time along the journey as well."

That's all set to unravel in this year's Block, which airs Sundays at 7.00pm and Mon-Weds at 7.30pm on Channel 9 and 9Now.

Here's what we know about the five all–important houses on The Block in 2023.

Where are The Block houses this year?

Where else should five delightful 1950s brick homes be located than the perfect and quaintly named Charming Street?

READ MORE: Everything you need to know about The Block 2023

Charming Street is in Melbourne's Hampton East.

Judge Shaynna Blaze says the new location is perfect. "I think the show will put the area on the map, without a doubt," she claims.

It's a family friendly suburb that has loads of new developments popping up, as people fall in love with the area. With a population of 4693, the area is surrounded by busy shopping strips and malls, plus lots of sporting fields, parks, tennis courts and gyms.

The mighty St Kilda Football Club train just around the corner, in the neighbouring suburb of Moorabbin.

Foreman Keith also lives just down the road (and is very happy about the short commute to work!)

The average price for a four–bedroom house in the area is $1,648,000 (source: Domain), and our Blockheads will no doubt be looking to improve on that.

What are the pros and cons of renovating an existing dwelling?

Previous seasons have seen Blockheads weep over non–existent dirt floors, endless mud and lack of roofing.

This year's contestants may have been relieved to learn their homes have walls, floors and ceilings… but they quickly learn that it's not all cruisy when you have to renovate a previously untouched 1950s home.

"This series' houses may seem charming on the surface, but our contestants will be in for a shock as they uncover a host of pitfalls not evident upon first inspection," reveals co-host Shelley Craft.

The homes will all feature some major extras

Not only will the five teams be tasked with renovating a home, they will also be given the arduous task of building a secondary accommodation on their properties – a massive workload that will push the five couples to the brink.

But undoubtedly, a 'granny flat' style addition will also bring huge value to the properties.

The contestants will get the schedule up front

In a move that previous contestants would have loved (calling Tanya and Vito!), the Blockheads will get the full renovation schedule ahead of time this season.

That technically will allow them to plan ahead and possibly even better manage their budget, sleep schedule, workload and trades… but whether the Blockheads will effectively embrace this new twist is another matter altogether.

You can find out what room is being renovated when by checking out the entire schedule for yourself, right here.

We'll know the end result before we start…

… well, some of it at least.

Before Episode 1, Judge Shaynna Blaze revealed that unlike past seasons, this year the Blockheads were allowed to see the planned outside of their homes, right from the outset.

"I'm loving the fact that this is the first year where contestants have been allowed to see the exterior of the houses to help them move forward, "she says. "I think that is a real game changer."

Who gets what house?

This year's Blockheads are each representing a different homeland state and their houses are just as unique.

The house order was determined with a 48 hour House Decider Challenge, which saw QLD couple Leah and Ash take top honours.

The selection process was tense, but ultimately everyone seemed happy with their choice.

The Houses belong to:

WA's Kyle and Leslie: House 1

QLD's Leah and Ash: House 2

SA's Kristy and Brett: House 3

NSW's Steph and Gian: House 4

VIC's Eliza and Liberty: House 5

The five houses are all very different

"This season has probably been one of the more difficult to judge," explains returning judge Darren Palmer. "Each of the houses are so different, the floor plans are so different, and the spaces are all unique.

"But as always, once the houses are near completion, it's great to see the transformation."

Judge Neale Whitaker will be tag teaming his duties with newcomer Marty Fox this year. Despite it being his 13^th season on the show, he says witnessing the transformation of the homes has been a thrill.

"I love houses from the 1950s, so it's been great to see how they have been adapted for the renovation from start to finish," he shares.

What can we expect from the renovations?

"I think this season in particular we have seen things on The Block that we haven't seen before, which is surprising our judges," Shelley reveals.

"That is one of the reasons why I keep doing my own projects, because you do get fresh ideas every season."

Shelley adds that there's an excellent sense of flow throughout the five homes, too. "I think there is more continuity between the whole house, the interior and the exterior," she says, of the Charming Street properties.

Real estate mogul Marty Fox joins the judges this year and says he was focused on one thing in particular when assessing the homes.

READ MORE: Who is Marty Fox? The real estate mogul joining The Block family in 2023

"My thing going into The Block is to make sure the contestants deliver a house that is as timeless as possible, but still keeping to the trends," he says.

Who will be working on site?

Fans of The Block will be delighted to learn that Tom will return this year as the site's official plumber.

He and wife Sarah-Jane won over the audience last year, with their strong work ethic and relatable (and often hilarious) bickering.

"I'm loving being back, it was an honour to be asked," Tom says. "I'm having an absolute blast and it's great to be on the other side after being a contestant last year."

Tom is also a hipages ambassador who will award contestants he believes are working hard and building at a high standard with $10,000 throughout the three months of filming.

The designs of the home are once again courtesy of The Block's incredible architect Julian Brenchley.

What will the winners get?

The house that sells for the most money on auction day will get $100,000… on top of any profit the couples earn on the critical day.

Plus, of course, major bragging rights.

Since its premiere on Channel 9 in 2003, The Block has awarded a total of $32,592,807.65 in prize money.

Last year's winners Omar and Oz from The Block: Tree Change in Gisbourne can proudly lay claim to winning the most amount of prize money in 20 years of the show.

They won $1,686,666.66 when their house sold for a whopping $5,666,666,66 ,after a bidding war between entrepreneurs Adrian Portelli and Danny Wallis.

The Block airs Sunday at 7.00pm and Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now. Catch up on all the 9Now. 

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