First look inside The Block judges’ wild One Euro gamble in Italy with Darren Palmer and Shaynna Blaze. Picture: Nine
They’ve judged multimillion-dollar makeovers on The Block, now Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer are the ones sweating over a fixer-upper, and this time the price tag is just one euro.
The pair have flown to Sicily to film 1 Euro House, Nine’s bold new series that follows the judges as they attempt to transform a crumbling village villa into a designer escape.
Filmed in the ancient hilltop town of Castronovo, the project is part renovation, part culture shock.
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Locals sold the rundown home for the symbolic price of one euro, and the Aussie design stars are betting their reputations on turning it into something spectacular.
A first look during Nine’s 2026 Upfronts showed just how bad the state of the homes was.
Standing in a pile of rubble, Palmer appeared stunned when he saw the damage.
“This is so much worse than I thought,” he said.
The Block’s design duo swap multimillion-dollar mansions for a one-euro ruin in Sicily for Nine’s boldest new renovation series yet. Picture: Nine
Darren Palmer looks stunned after stepping inside the crumbling Sicilian villa, “This is so much worse than I thought,” he said. Picture: Nine
An industry source told News Corp Australia 1 Euro House would be a major test of taking an Australian renovation format global.
“It’s the cheapest house they’ve ever touched but the biggest test of their design credibility,” the insider said.
“You’ve got two of Australia’s best-known designers and judges on The Block rebuilding a ruin with no tradies, no contestants and no backup plan.
“It’s design meets Survivor in a house.”
The dilapidated home shows just how far gone the structure was before filming began. Picture: Nine
Locals sold the home for one euro, a bargain, but one that came with centuries of decay and damage. Picture: Nine
Nine says 1 Euro House will mix travel, architecture and chaos, with Blaze and Palmer teaming up with Italian artisans to restore each space by hand.
The same industry source said ongoing discussions about a celebrity edition of The Block now “made sense”, with the network “clearly testing the waters”.
“With whispers of a celebrity version of The Block in development, this show suddenly makes sense,” they said.
“It’s Nine testing the waters, sending its judges global before the next big reveal.”
Shaynna Blaze couldn’t hide her disbelief after seeing the villa’s interior for the first time Picture: Nine
The property before work began, walls missing, ceilings caved in, and rubble scattered across the floors. Picture: Nine
While the symbolic sale price sounds like a bargain, Italy’s Case a one euro initiative comes with serious strings attached.
Buyers must commit to restoring the homes within three years, lodge a security deposit of about €5,000 (A$8,150), and pay legal and notary fees between €3,000 and €6,000 (A$4,900-A$9,800).
The real expense is the rebuild itself, typically costing between €100,000-€300,000 (A$163,000-A$490,000), depending on the property’s size and condition.
Similar one-euro schemes run in towns such as Sambuca di Sicilia, Mussomeli and Taranto, offering homes across Italy’s rural south and even in Tuscany and Puglia, but all come with the same reality check, buyers are signing up for a multi-year passion project, not a cheap holiday escape.
1 Euro House will premiere on Channel 9 in October 2026.
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david.bonaddio@news.com.au
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