The Block Auction Live Coverage: Scott Cam takes over “Pause it immediately!”

Our live coverage of The Block 2025 auctions is now over. Congratulations to the winners.

Emotions are running high. Picture Channel 9

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That's a wrap on The Block auction for 2025

9:30pm

And that’s a wrap for the 21st season of The Block Daylesford.

It started strong but ended in disappointment.

Britt and Taz take home $420,000 in profit plus an additional $100K for the highest profit of the day – so $520,000 in total winnings. They’re the first team from WA to ever win The Block.

“It seems selling five houses on the same day in Daylesford was probably a tall order,” says Scott Cam.

Here’s the final auction tally:

Auction results

Channel 9 has already confirmed the location for 2026, with contestants heading to Mount Eliza, marking the first time The Block has filmed on the Mornington Peninsula.

Mount Eliza has a median house price of $1.615 million – though high-end homes sell for many multiples of that.

And that could mean a better result for contestants than we’ve seen today.

Auction 5: Han and Can’s home passes in

9:27 pm

Han and Can meet Scott Cam on the couch and immediately bring in their agent and auctioneer to come up with a strategy. 

They’ve also decided to start with a vendor bid to avoid sneaking over the reserve.

Danny Wallis is in the room again. Frank Valentic says his “pockets are empty.”

Their auctioneer does a great job of listing the home’s features, then kicks off the auction with a vendor bid of $3.1m.

“Doesn’t look like anyone’s got over $3m,” Scott Cam remarks.

No one bites.

The auctioneer pauses the auction.

The agents work the room - Danny says he doesn’t like the curves in the home, he says he’d buy it for $2.1m - as a joke?

Frank Valentic says he has a buyer at $3m but no more.

They decide to pass in the home without single bid.

No smiles as House 2 passes in. Picture: Channel 9

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“That’s the best way to go, even though it’s a sad one,” said Scott Cam, noting they’ll be able to negotiate a sale and hopefully achieve a price they’re happy with.

That means Britt and Taz win The Block 2025.

They hug to celebrate as the girls walk back.

Auction 4: Sonny and Alicia

9:11 pm

“What a morning,” Alicia says as she enters the room, but they say they’re lucky and grateful to have been on The Block regardless of the auction outcome.

They decide to bring in their agents ahead of the auction for a strategy session.

They’re going to start with a vendor bid to avoid bids just tipping over the reserve.

The auctioneer kicks off with their list of inclusions – and mentions their depreciation schedule, which is the highest of all the homes.

And we’re off with a vendor bid of $3,050,000.

The room is quiet. Will anyone make a move?

Third and final call....

“Oh my god, it’s just crickets,” one contestant says.

“Still no bids,” Shelley Craft adds.

“Please!” Alicia begs.

Frank Valentic is going to make a call.

“Alright, pass her in,” Scott Cam says. “You know, there's going to be 2 million people watching this, they know there's a caravan thrown in .. they'll call us.”

Frank Valentic is in with a bid of $3,060,000. They're sitting at $120,000 profit.

“You got a good buy, Frank,” says Alicia.

Third and final call at $3,060,000.

And sold.

Auction results:

“We’re more than happy. It’s been a tough day for everyone,” says Sonny.

“That’s a bit off the mortgage,” Alicia adds.

They’re happy.

“This is a great result,” Shelley says to the group as Sonny and Alicia walk back to join them.

“We’re basically rich,” Alicia jokes as they enter the room.

Han and Can are up next for the final auction of the evening, and despite major budgeting issues they’ve delivered a beautiful home – but it misses a ‘secret weapon’ like the other four homes.

The girls received the lowest combined number of points from the judges this season and have some polarising features, like the enormous Japanese-inspired Torii front gate. 

They’re certainly the underdogs in what is shaping up to be a very tough day.

Sonny and Alicia are up next

8.55pm

Up next, Sonny and Alicia.

The couple from the Gold Coast won $50,000 off their reserve price for their winning front yard.

And while they’ve won the least number of rooms this season, they scored a $260K Titanium caravan plus a car to auction as part of their house after winning Block challenges.

That might make all the difference after the past two auction results.

Auction 3: Emma and Ben’s home is passed in

8:47 pm

Emma and Ben walk into the auction with their trademark positivity.

Danny Wallis is in the room again, there’s another buyer with a paddle who they met at their open home.

We get underway with a big at $2.5m

We’re at $2.92m and Danny Wallis asks if it’s on the market. We're not there yet.

The auction stalls at this point.

A few more bids and we’re still not at the reserve, but getting close. The risk is they could creep across the line.

Scott Cam suggests Emma and Ben call their agent to stop the auction.

He answers. “Pause it immediately, pause it immediately!” Scott Cam says down the line.

They pause the auction.

Shelley and the contestants watched on as the auction came to a halt. Picture Channel 9

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The instruction is to set a vendor bid of $3.1m with the hope of kickstarting the auction.

“Can you do a vendor bid of 3.3m?” Ben laughs nervously. “Or $3.4m,” laughs Emma.

The vendor bid of $3.1m doesn’t spur on activity. Cue the dramatic music. When you hear Billie Eilish you know things aren't going to plan.

It doesn’t look promising.

And the home is passed in.

“It’s not the end of it,

“But it’s not going to win it,” Ben responds.

A disappointing day for Emma and Ben.

No happy faces as Emma and Ben's house is passed in.

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House 5 sold to Danny Wallis: Robby and Mat pocket $109,999

8:29pm

"No, no, no, no, no, not yet" pleads Scotty before the hammer falls. But it’s not the auctioneers fault, the home was well and truly over reserve and on the market.

“Well that was disappointing,” Mat quips.

The boys make $109,999 in profit after their home sells to Danny Wallis for $3,099,999.

They’re shocked and disappointed.

“They have to split it,” one contestant reminds everyone.

“Well that was f****,” Mat reaffirms to the camera.

A shocked room claps the boys as they enter the room. Everyone is upset for the boys, but they must also be concerned for themselves. The boys were labelled as the team to beat.

Shelley struggled to hide her disappointment. Picture: Channel 9

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Auction 2: Robby and Mat’s auction stalls at $109K over reserve

8.21pm

Robby and Mat are up next, and we’re reminded that Robby has made a huge sacrifice in leaving his four-month-old baby and partner for 12 weeks to come on the show.

There are still plenty of buyers in the room, including Danny Wallis, buyer’s agent Frank Valentic is holding a paddle, and artist David Bromley is there!

Scott Cam jokes that David Bromley might by the house just to get his paintings back - after the boys in particular used the Daylesford-based artist's work in many of their rooms

And we’re off, with auctioneer Tom Panos outlining the many inclusions – a pickleball court, wine cellar, $50K worth of wine. “It has the best aspect,” he adds.

Several bids before we’re at $3m – and we’re $10K over the reserve.

It’s back and forth between Danny Wallis and Frank Valentic, and we’re at $109,999 over reserve.

Momentum stops and the boys drop their head into their hands. Will they get more?

Auction 1: Britt and Taz make $420K profit

8:03pm

Britt and Taz have 9 potential bidders – and Danny Wallis is back!

Danny Wallis is back, which will be a relief for the contestants.

The multi-millionaire investor has purchased 11 homes worth a combined $30m over the years, but he hasn’t bought a Block property since 2022.

In fact, he’s been selling off his Victorian portfolio and has been a vocal critic of the Victorian government’s land tax increase implemented at the start of 2024.

Lucky for the contestants these brand new Block homes are packed with high-end inclusions from sponsors and come with enormous tax breaks, which makes them an attractive investment. Danny Wallis recently said the only Victorian properties he would invest in today are homes from The Block.

Auctioneer Damien Cooley runs through the long list of features.

First bid – $2.850m, then they’re quickly over the reserve with a $3m bid.

Danny Wallis makes his usual odd numbered bids.

But buyer’s agent Frank Valentic is quick to come back with a round number.

Danny Wallis comes back with $3,356,000.34

A bidder on the phone rounds it up with “instructions to stop mucking around” - the crowd laughs.

Danny Wallis is back and we’re nearing $400K profit for the cops from WA.

And SOLD to bidder on the phone. Danny Wallis misses out on House 3.

Auction result:

Wow $420,000 in profit – a strong start to The Block auction.

“What about the judges,” laughs Scotty Cam, in references to the judges scolding remarks that the Pilates studio could make their home unsaleable.

That will give the other contestants confidence with four auctions remaining. Will the momentum last?

Alicia was shocked as bidding soared passed the reserve. Picture: Channel 9

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Auction day prep

7:53pm

We meet the newest member of The Block, baby Bailey, and he is soooo tiny!

Emma and Ben welcomed their first child just weeks ago, maybe he’ll be their good luck charm.

A quick tour through Britt and Taz’s home and the nerves are starting to set in.

Time for the first auction to get underway for 2025.

Britt and Taz to kick off the auctions

7.51pm

The teams are calling their agents to deliver the news – the reserves are higher than they wanted.

Their agents are generally optimistic.

“A little higher than what we expected it to be, but the good thing is we've got buyers,” said House 3’s agent.

House 5’s agent: “You're kidding, why? Do we know why?”

Han and Can are worried about the order.

“We’ll be okay,” Han said, comforting an upset Can who is in tears again.

Kicking off the auctions will be Britt and Taz from House 3.

They’ve tied with House 5 for the most room wins this season.

The question is whether their controversial Pilates studio in place of a second living space will cost them at auction. Marty Fox said it could make the home “unsaleable.”

Auction order locked in and auction reserves revealed

7:34pm

Can is in tears over the auction order, they have no registered bidders and she’s worried they won’t sell.

After some warm words of encouragement from the teams, and some advice from Scott Cam - “The Block has been won from every auction order,” - they agree to go last.

And we have an auction order:

1. House 3 – Britt and Taz
2. House 5 – Robby and Mat
3. House 1 – Emma and Ben
4. House 4 – Sonny and Alicia
5. House 5 – Han and Can

Now it’s onto auction reserves – they're all the same and all teams have the same reaction. Shock and disappointment.

$2.99 million for all the houses except Sonny and Alicia in House 4, they won $50K off their reserve after winning the final week’s room reveal.

The teams were shocked as auction reserves of almost $3m were revealed. Picture: Channel 9

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"That's rough," said Taz.

“It feels rough to me, too," responded Scott Cam

"No one is ever happy with it, but that's at the top end of what we would be happy with,' Taz said.

Auction reserves:

• House 1: $2.99m
• House 2: $2.99m
• House 3: $2.99m
• House 4: $2.94m (won $50K off their reserve in week 12)
• House 5: $2.99m

Auction reserves all the same

7:18pm

A quick recap, a quick preview of what’s in store.

And we’re onto the all-important auction order.

As usual, no one wants to go last. Everyone wants second or third place.

Some updates from the team – Emma and Ben have welcomed their baby boy early and Mat is expecting a child in 9 weeks.

Scott Cam reveals the auction reserves will be the same – except Sonny and Alicia who have won $50K off their reserve.

And we’re into the battle of the auction order.

In a blow to the girls, they’re the only team without any registered bidders yet. Britt and Taz have five.

And we’re off...

7.00pm

The Block’s finale has kicked off!

Whoever gets to pick the auction order will have a strategic advantage as it’s a major factor in determining how many buyers are in the room.

The consensus among previous contestants is, don’t go last!

Stay tuned for all the live action as it happens.

Block Auction showdown: Buyers facing outside competition

6:43pm

The question will be whether there are five buyers prepared to buy five multi-million-dollar neighbouring homes with the same floorplan, on the same day.

If so, the contestants aren’t just competing against each other.

Another Daylesford icon – the Coach House – hit the market this month with the same price guide as the five Block homes.

Listed with Robby and Mat’s agent Kim McQueen, the circa 1854 historical landmark sits on a 956sqm lakefront parcel of land and includes five bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Then there’s the original farmhouse that sits in the same new housing estate as The Block homes, in fact, its buyer could admire the five homes with a cuppa on the front porch.

Or perhaps buyers might want to take on a piece of The Block’s 2025 season for a fraction of the price.

Listed as the ‘6^th Block lot’, the 2,649sqm parcel is currently home to Scotty’s Sawmill where contestants received their score each Sunday.

6:28pm

Once the hammer falls at The Block auction it’s all over, but you might be wondering what happens to the homes after the show comes to an end.

One of the perks of buying a Block house is that everything is included in the sale – the beds, sofas, artwork, even the cushions.

Mike Gill and his wife purchased their home designed by 2017 contestants, Hannah and Clint at a Block auction.

Radio host Dave ‘Hughesy’ Hughes snapped up Josh and Elise’s winning home in the same season for $3.067m, $447,000 over the reserve.

He said he regretted it almost instantly after getting carried away at the auction and time didn’t heal those wounds.

“I went to get a bank loan the other day and they haven’t valued it the same as I paid for it, which is fine, but annoying because there were five bidders,” he later told Stellar magazine.

What happens if the houses don’t sell?

6:12pm

If houses fail to reach the reserve price at auction they are passed in and the sales agents try to negotiate a higher price afterwards.

Sometimes the auctioneers will end an auction early and pass in rather than risk the house selling for little above the reserve.

In 2023, Kirsty and Brett’s house sold at auction for only $60,000 over the reserve. Opting to pass in their home instead of fight for a sale yielded a better result for Leah and Ash, whose house sold months later for $155,000 above the reserve.

In 2022, The Block’s Gisbourne South venture saw Tom and Sarah-Jane pocket just $20,000.99 at auction. They later revealed they were about $100,000 out of pocket once lost income, mortgage payments and childcare were added up.

Their neighbours Dylan and Jenny fared even worse, passing in their home at auction and selling months later below reserve. It puts them among a handful of teams in the show’s 21-season history to have walked away from their gruelling months filming with zero prize money.

How much do The Block judges and contestants get paid?

6.03pm

Auction day may determine how much money the contestants walk away with, but the stars behind the show are also cashing in big.

Host Scott Cam leads the pack on a staggering $2.4m a year — about $48,000 an episode — cementing his spot as one of Australia’s richest television presenters.

Co-host Shelley Craft is estimated to earn between $500,000 and $750,000 a season, while former foreman Keith Schleiger, who stepped back last year after 16 seasons, was believed to be on $250,000-$300,000.

His successor Dan Reilly, now the sole foreman, is tipped to pocket closer to $150,000-$200,000.

By comparison, the judges are paid modestly, long-time panelists Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer are rumoured to earn $60,000-$100,000 a season, while newcomer Whitefox founder Marty Fox is reportedly on a $2000-$3000 per-episode deal.

The contestants on the other hand are left at the bottom of the financial ladder, paid just $100 a day, or about $16,800 per couple across the gruelling 12-week build.

5:42pm

It may seem unlikely that five buyers would be willing to pay four times the Daylesford median house price for the five Block homes, but there’s a very big tax incentive that could tempt investors.

According to BMT Tax Depreciation, each home could generate between $5.4 million and $6 million in claimable depreciation deductions in their lifetimes.

Topping the list for depreciation deductions was Sonny and Alicia’s House 4 with a whopping $5,934,256 worth of total deductions, equating to a first-year claim of $275,802.

Property investors can claim depreciation deductions for the natural wear and tear of buildings and their assets, according to The Australian Taxation Office.

Who will buy The Block properties?

5:33pm

The other Block serial buyer, Danny Wallis, has been selling off his Victorian portfolio in recent years, but there are rumours he may make an appearance today.

The IT entrepreneur turned philanthropist has spent more than $40m on homes from the series over the past decade, often donating them to children’s charities through his ‘healing homes’ program.

Wallis is equally famous for his bidding style, known for finishing offers with odd figures such as $1.01 or $0.99, though in Albert Park, he settled for $1,795,000.45.

Danny Wallis with Scott Cam. Picture: The Block.

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Whether he turns up or not, buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic expects the bidder pool will look very different to last year.

“These homes are in the $3m range in a town where the median’s under $1m. It’ll be mainly high-end investors or Melbourne buyers looking for Airbnb income and a lifestyle property,” he said.

“Without Adrian Portelli or Danny Wallis it’s going to be the most unpredictable auction we’ve had in years.”

Will Adrian ‘Lambo Guy’ Portelli be back this year?

5:13pm

Billionaire and serial Block bidder Adrian Portelli announced 2024 would be his last year bidding, after sweeping all five Phillip Island homes last year.

But in a potential twist, he’s been spotted in Daylesford in recent weeks.

An Instagram post from Ray White Sunbury director Aaron Hill and agent Jamee Favorito - the agency tasked with selling House 1 - appears to show Mr Portelli standing in Emma and Ben’s wine cellar on 14 October.

But those close to production say a return is highly unlikely.

Portelli told media after his clean sweep that it would be his final appearance, and he has since signed a multimillion dollar deal with Channel 7 to produce My Reno Rules in 2026.

Scott Cam won’t miss Adrian Portelli on auction day.

The Block host believes the billionaire businessman’s decision to retire his paddle after spending more than $27 million on eight houses will simply pave the way for families to get back in the bidding at long last.

“You know we might not get ridiculous prices but we’re going to give mums and dads the opportunity to buy one of these houses,” he said.

Adrian Portelli made a surprise visit to House 1 - but will he attend the auction? Picture: Instagram @aaronhill_raywhiterealestate

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Auction price guides

5.02pm

Price guides for The Block homes have been revealed with each of the five Daylesford properties seeking $3 million to $3.3 million.

PropTrack data shows the median house price in Daylesford was $810,000 in September this year, down 7.2% on 2024.

This makes the price guides considerably higher than Daylesford’s median house price – almost four times in fact.

Asking prices for The Block 2025:

The homes sit within the new Middleton Field housing estate located at the town’s eastern entry point, where typical four-bedroom houses are priced between $850,000 and $1.2 million.

Unlike other nearby towns including Ballarat and Woodend, Daylesford is not directly connected to Melbourne by train – commuters either need to drive 30mins to the nearest station or get a coach bus.

Finding five buyers willing to spend four times the median house price on neighbouring homes, on the same day, could be a tall ask… unless we see some familiar faces with deep pockets.

Expert predictions – who will win The Block 2025?

4:41pm

Buyer's agent and Block regular Frank Valentic will be holding a paddle on screen this evening, and he has revealed the home that has the best chance of taking out the win.

His buyers are big fans of Britt and Taz's House 3, aka the ‘Wellness House’.

“In terms of my buyer feedback at the moment, they are saying that Britt and Taz’s house three will win as buyers like that flow, the cohesiveness, the energy, the lights, their whole wellness theme,” Mr Valentic told realestate.com.au this week.

“Everyone thinks it's a very, very connected house in terms of how it all flows.

Robby and Mat’s House 5 is also a favourite.

“My buyers' feedback for the boys in House 5 would be their house’s position, it's probably the best position on the block, in terms of it's right at the end, overlooking farmlands, a private treed outlook,” he said.

“Whereas the other end, there's more of a development there, so there is some more privacy overlooking issues.”

House 3’s Britt and Taz are hot favourites to win The Block alongside Robby and Mat from House 5. Picture: Channel 9/9Now

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Leaderboard - who has the most points overall

4:28pm

Things get a little interesting here.

In terms of the most room reveal wins, Britt and Taz’s House 3 and Robby and Mat’s House 5 are neck-and-neck with four wins each.

But when looking at the most points overall from the judges, Emma and Ben in House 1 are well in front. The pair consistently delivered strong rooms this season but regularly missed out on the win, placing second five times.

Sonny and Alicia, who only won a single week this season rank second for combined points.

Robby and Mat’s rollercoaster season often saw them swing from first to last place each week, with the third highest number of points combined across the season.

Britt and Taz in House 3 scored the fourth highest number of points.

Han and Can in House 2 are dead last.

Who won last year - Maddy and Charlotte’s shock win

4:14pm

Sydney sisters Maddy and Charlotte won The Block 2024 - pocketing $1.65m dollars - after rich lister Adrian Portelli bought all five houses at auction, by stealth.

Last year’s winners Maddy and Charlotte saw their lives changed forever when Portelli delivered the winning bid, sealing a fairytale finish. Picture: Nine

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In what Portelli promised would be his final appearance at a Block auction, the sisters were left gobsmacked when he snapped up their property with a single bid of $3.5m - one million more than his underbidder - in the last sale of the day.

Not wanting to give his game away until the end, Portelli enlisted a buyers’ advocate to act on his behalf to purchase Mimi and Kristian’s house, so that nobody knew he was on a mission to take home the lot.

The amateur property flippers were the youngest contestants in 20 years of The Block, and replaced original contestants Jesse and Paige four weeks into filming.

In total, Portelli splurged more than $15m to buy up the entire Phillip Island compound.

The highest ever win on The Block remains Steph and Gian, who made a $1.75m profit with their Japandi-style home in 2023. Portelli purchased their Hampton East home for $5m.

Steph and Gian were crowned winners of the 2023 season, pictured here with host Scott Cam. Photo: Nine

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The Block auction 2025 is here

4:01pm

Welcome to our live coverage of The Block 2025. Before we get underway let's get a quick disclaimer out of the way, realestate.com.au is not a sponsor of, or otherwise affiliated with The Block.

OK now that’s out of the way, let’s have a look back at every room the teams delivered this season while we wait for The Block auctions to kick off at 7pm.

For the first time in The Block history, the five teams were tasked with brand new builds, each with an identical floorplan.

But the teams have delivered five very different homes, some with a ‘secret weapon’.

House 1, renovated by Emma and Ben, is the only raised house this season, giving them an elevated view that none of the other homes have. The duo created a country style home with plenty of Daylesford flair.

Han and Can’s House 2 faced some serious budgeting issues throughout the season but the pair have delivered a stunning spa-inspired retreat with Japanese gardens.

Britt and Taz’s House 3 is known as the wellness house, with a sauna, ice bath and fully equipped Pilates studio – which they controversially delivered in place of a second living area.

House 4 by Sonny and Alicia gives modern industrial vibes and while they didn’t win a room until the final week of the competition, it could be the one that tips the competition in their favour, winning $50,000 off their reserve price and a car for themselves and the buyer of their home. That’s on top of a $260,000 Titanium caravan their buyer will get with House 4.

Robby and Mat’s House 5 style is contemporary country and it could be the one to watch. With a leafy end position adjoining the Wombat Park Estate, plus an underground wine cellar and pickleball court, many say it’s between House 5 and House 3 for the win.

realestate.com.au is not a sponsor of, or otherwise affiliated with The Block.

Room reveal images were originally published on nine.com.au/TheBlock.