Episode 49 recap: Team score $50k Auction Day advantage that could win them the entire Block
After 12 weeks of tears, yelling and bowls in the sharehouse sink, it’s time for the final Room Reveal of The Block 2026.
We’ve bloody made it.
We (they) did it! Nine
A lot has changed since we met the Blockheads at the start of the season, but one thing that hasn’t is the fact Houses 2 and 3 are accessing their front yards through House 1’s.
Yeah, we’re still on that.
Jolene thinks it’s causing them to fall behind, while Adam is being too nice.
It’s not until late Friday afternoon that he finally says no more, but that isn’t enough to stop Jolene crying.
“We’ve just wasted an entire week, we’ve just given someone else a win,” she says.
Vibes are just as bad at House 4, as Courtney, Sev and their zero dollars resign themselves to a loss as well.
Meanwhile, Rick and Tayla are the most confident they’ve ever been, Lisa and Rosco feel good too and Chantel and Wyatt … well, Wyatt doesn’t care either way.
Not even the prospect of being the first team ever to never win a room can bring him to at least pretend.
I thought he wanted to be an actor? Nine
The next morning, Scott Cam arrives for the final tools down.
After extra tears and a special thank you to the entire Block family, it’s time to bring in the judges.
Adam and Jolene
House 1’s yard has been planned around the large trees already in their space, and the judges love it.
The water feature they cried over and then bought from Lisa and Rosco gets a big reception, as does the unique fire pit.
There are plenty of sculptures in the Mount Eliza area, so Shaynna thinks they slot right in.
The “entrance appeal” is hampered by the granitic sand near the front door, which will definitely end up being dragged through the house.
Dave likes the three circular arbours but points out that when the creeping plant grows around them as planned, they won’t be very practical.
Shaynna thinks they also distract from the ocean view that greets people as they walk through the front gate.
Those are their only major issues, however, as everything else gets plenty of “wows”, from the large stone table to the choices of plants.
“The trees, the planting, what we’ve seen – my mind is blown,” Shaynna says.
The trio is very excited to see the growth on Auction Day.
“It’s going to look like $1 million and then some,” Darren says.
Chantel and Wyatt
If Chantel and Wyatt don’t take this out, they’ll officially be the only Block duo to never win a Room Reveal – so they’ve pulled out all the stops.
Outside, the judges love that they’ve created a small, sheltered seating space – but don’t love the use of white tiles to divide it from the garden.
Around the corner, the wellness corner is “beyond cool”.
She has never made that face in House 2 ever before. Nine
Darren doesn’t think this lifestyle zone could have been planned any better.
It’s so private that you could, theoretically, have a nudie-rudie bath out here. Not that that is something he’s into.
“And we’ve seen so many saunas in so many places, and this is the absolute best place for the sauna on this Block, hands down, full stop,” he continues.
There is even more praise for their Trendz fireplace, which was not the one they ordered but slotted right into the area thanks to some expert Cursio tiling.
Dave critiques some of the planting choices, but it isn’t enough to dampen his colleagues’ moods.
Darren thinks it’s the “most interesting” space they’ve done all season.
“I was standing here thinking, ‘It feels like home’, and I have not said that about any of their spaces this whole series,” she praises.
Lisa and Rosco
Rosco is so pleased with their front yard that he reckons nothing the judges say will faze him. Sure!
The large olive tree outside the window captures their attention before they even get outside.
But once they’re out there, the stone wall doesn’t work for them.
Shaynna is also confused by the addition of a shed, Lisa and Rosco’s secret weapon this week.
That is, until hey open it, spot the TV and beer tap, and everything makes sense.
The birdbath Lisa added last minute, however, does not.
“It looks like something that should be at my Nan’s house,” Dave says.
On the flip side, he thinks the use of natives in the garden is great but they have missed “screening trees” that would grow to add additional privacy.
Darren had critiqued House 3 for throwing away their kid-friendly vibe last week, but with ample lawn and a child-sized table and chairs, this week he thinks they’ve brought it all back around.
“They knew what they were doing, we didn’t,” he says.
“My apologies, they knew what they were doing, and we didn’t.”
Courtney and Sev
Courtney and Sev give themselves a C+ this week, which says they probably aren’t expecting their seventh win.
The uptown front yards look a lot more like a typical front yard, and the judges immediately like that.
Darrek likes their hard surface, which is housing a Bar Crusher, and while Dave agrees, it’s a bit bare.
He thinks there would be more kerb appeal with some plants.
The stairs down to the front door worry Shaynna. There are many, they’re steep and there is no railing to hold on to.
“For me, coming down here, that’s not making it inviting at all,” she says.
Once down there, all she can see is their budget woes.
The water feature is underwhelming, and the seating area feels unfinished.
“They’ve had a lot of money … the fact that they haven’t allocated the money for this, I’m quite surprised,” Shaynna says.
It’s perfectly summed up as “a bit meh”.
Rick and Tayla
House 5 has the judges’ favourite cladding and that again gets things off to an excellent start.
But this week, Rick and Tayla have added plenty to complement it.
“This is my wow moment,” Dave says as he looks at the front yard.
The steps down to the entrance are “perfect”, so much so that Darren gives not one, not two, but three “yums”.
The only critique he has about the entire area is the lack of a fence.
Everything else is simple, but so effective.
Once again, Shaynna thinks the stairs to the entrance area need a handrail, but she immediately forgets about that when they spot the water feature at the bottom of them.
“Oh come on, that’s amazing!” she reacts. “We’ve never seen anything like this on The Block, ever.”
She is equally impressed by Rick and Tayla actually finishing a space.
“They saved the best till last, go them,” she praises.
As Scotty tallies the scores, it’s clear we’ve got a very tight race on our hands.
But it’s Rick and Tayla who take out the final week of the year and score a potentially Block-winning $50,000 off their reserve!
Huge win! Nine
The final scores are:
- Adam and Jolene: 26.5
- Chantel and Wyatt: 26
- Lisa and Rosco: 26
- Courtney and Sev: 22
- Rick and Tayla: 27.5
Before we all officially go tools down, there is of course an Auction Day to look forward to.
Put your feet up, and we’ll catch you next Sunday for the Grand Finale.
