Episode 41 recap: Rivals rocked as split-second decision secures team the win
Happy Sunday – let’s swiftly ignore the naked men getting massages in the share house living room, shall we?
Things are even more dire on site!
There is SO much work to do!!! Nine
“The judges won’t even get down to the pool … I hope Shaynna can abseil, Darren will,” Foreman Dan says while assessing how little of House 5’s deck Rick and Tayla will get done.
There’s no better time for Tayla to visit House 2’s pool for a dip!
Block legends Alisa and Lysandra pop over for a tour and then whisk everyone away for lunch.
Who needs a deck anyway?
There, Scott Cam springs an archery challenge on everyone. Dangerous, considering all the frostiness of late!
Thankfully, there are no injuries – and Rick and Tayla walk away with $10,000 cash and a $10,000 safe.
Sunday morning begins with lots of rain, perfect for finishing and styling an outdoor area!
Tools down rolls around very fast and just as Dan predicted, there are plenty of incomplete decks.
At HQ, Scotty adds another safe with a $15,000 Rolex inside to his Plungie prize pool and awards Lisa and Rosco the budget award. Again.
OK, bring in the judges.
Adam and Jolene
House 1 has pulled off a completed space, so they’ve already got that going for them!
The judges walk onto the terrace area and are immediately impressed by the inclusion of a sauna.
Darren Palmer can see how this space connects to the rumpus to create a “lifestyle proposition”, which he loves.
But Shaynna Blaze thinks there are mistakes in the furniture choices.
“It’s just cluttered with furniture, with accessories. Two little swivel chairs, that are plush, would make you feel like you’ve got the lifestyle,” she says.
Down onto the deck, all three judges are blown away by the Dekton kitchen area, which has all the amenity anyone could want including a barbecue and pizza oven.
Darren says the data shows outdoor entertainment is essential for Mount Eliza buyers, and this very much sells the dream.
“This also exceeds the market,” Marty Fox agrees, saying amenity of this standard is usually only found in houses worth $10 million.
“If a buyer walks in here, they see a massive kitchen they weren’t expecting, a really good-sized pool and we’re all north-facing. This is prime time.”
Chantel and Wyatt
You know what? I can’t pretend I’m not excited to see what the judges think of Tayla’s tiles in House 2’s pool.
Immediately, Darren loves the use of texture and thinks the kitchenette on the terrace remedies the lack of one in the rumpus.
However, Shaynna notices there is no barbecue and Marty thinks that is an insult to this great nation.
Because “if you can’t turn a snag looking over the pool, there’s a problem”. Extremely relatable sentence.
The massive pool area, however, is a huge plus – especially because Chantel and Wyatt have such a tight budget.
“It doesn’t look cheap and it doesn’t look stingy, it still looks luxury,” Darren praises.
Marty thinks it’s “campaign-ready” but Shaynna doesn’t agree.
The plants don’t make sense to her, the bench seat reminds her of a public pool and she hates seeing bath towels outside.
And the pool flamingo.
She didn’t mention the pool tiles, though. At this point, I can only take that as a positive.
Lisa and Rosco
House 3’s point of difference is a dark pool and $7.53 worth of citrus fruit. Cha ching!
Like House 1, Lisa and Rosco have plonked a high table on their terrace area and again, the judges think it is the wrong choice.
The placement of the smoker, right next to the rumpus sliding door, also feels wrong.
But the biggest issue is the pool fence, which begins about a metre from the alfresco space leaving an empty walkway.
Lisa says it was so people would not have to navigate two gates to get to kids in the pool, but Marty thinks it will impact buyers.
“It’s a huge mistake and this is a non-negotiable to fix,” Shaynna says.
There are no stairs down to the pool yet because they will be poured next week, but the judges aren’t happy with that.
“That’s a bullshit excuse,” Darren reckons.
Oof, cranky!
They eventually make their way down, the long way I presume, where the lack of day beds and lighting disappoints.
Darren then goes for the jugular, pointing out that Lisa and Rosco were effectively gifted this house – with the best backyard on the series in his opinion – by Courtney and Sev in week one.
“They haven’t made the most of the gift that they got,” he says.
Shaynna’s “surprised”. Marty’s “flat”. And still cranky Darren is “annoyed”.
Ouch.
Courtney and Sev
The downtown houses have much bigger decks than the first three, which is good for impact and bad for trying to get it all done in a week.
The size of the space makes it clear to Darren why they chose House 4.
The judges slide around on a deck missing a few screws, but it’s not enough of a concern to distract from the massive barbecue and dining area.
With a fan and heater, Marty says they’ve completely nailed the “Goldilocks zone”.
“It is ticking every single box.”
Shaynna has two issues, though: the bar table is too high and the grates in the floor look like cow stops.
Down at the pool, the curved fence gets a big reception – and the judges even sit down on a soaking wet outdoor couch to go “wow” at the view of the house.
“I think the girls have done an incredible job and I feel really sad for them that they haven’t finished because it’s a knockout,” Shaynna says.
Rick and Tayla
Rick and Tayla reckon they would get three 10s if they finished. But they didn’t, soo …
The judges keep it positive at first.
The stone and colour palette is beautiful and with all the space around the side, they’re working with one of the best backyards this year.
The TV is huge, the lighting is good, and it has both a fan and a heater.
Plus, planting the olive tree to grow through the deck is “hot” and they’ve nailed the use of native plants.
But they can’t ignore how incomplete the deck is.
It means all their seats are huddled in one area, and will really bring their score down.
“Yes it will do quite well in the market, it offers a lot to a buyer but at the end of the day it’s not finished and this is the hero week,” Marty says.
Scotty starts to tally the points and after Darren and Marty’s, Courtney and Sev lead by 0.25 points.
But hey, Jolene has a special necklace!
Surprise! Nine
She and Adam play their secret gnome, from their Domain Buyers Jury victory last week, and it’s a damn good thing they do because it snatches the win right out of Courtney and Sev’s hands!
The final scores are:
- Adam and Jolene: 29
- Chantel and Wyatt: 25.5
- Lisa and Rosco: 22
- Courtney and Sev: 28.25
- Rick and Tayla: 21.5
“Do you reckon the girls are salty,” Jolene asks her husband.
Nooo, not at all. Nine
Next week, one of the biggest weeks on The Block brings tears, threats of disqualification and … random new roomies in the share house.
Didn’t see that one coming. Tune in tomorrow, as Backyard Week gets underway.
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