You’ve probably seen the headlines or scrolled past a grainy TikTok of a "Lambo Guy" waving a paddle. It looks like chaos. Because, honestly, it usually is.
The 20th season of The Block Australia houses turned into something of a fever dream on Phillip Island. We went from a derelict resort—well, Channel 9 called it derelict, though locals say it was actually a pretty decent holiday spot—to a multimillion-dollar sweep that broke every record the show ever had.
But if you’re looking at the shiny finished photos and wondering what actually happened behind the scenes, or where those houses are sitting right now in 2026, the story is a bit more complicated than just a coat of paint and some "Moditerranean" tiles.
The Phillip Island Sweep: $15 Million in One Day
It sounds fake. It isn’t.
Billionaire Adrian Portelli, the man who has basically become the "final boss" of the show's auctions, didn't just buy a house. He bought all of them. Every single one. In a move that left the other registered bidders looking a bit shell-shocked, Portelli dropped roughly $15 million to secure the entire 2.5-acre site.
Why? Because for him, it wasn't just about five luxury houses. It was about the Island Cove Villas as a whole entity.
The Winning Numbers
- House 1 (Maddy & Charlotte): Sold for $3.5 million. They walked away with a $1.55 million profit plus the $100k winner's prize. Total: $1.65 million.
- House 2 (Courtney & Grant): Sold for $3.3 million. Profit: $1.35 million.
- House 5 (Kristian & Mimi): Sold for $2.93 million. Profit: $1.03 million.
- House 3 (Ricky & Haydn): Sold for $2.75 million. Profit: $750,000.
- House 4 (Kylie & Brad): Sold for $2.6 million. Profit: $650,000.
Maddy and Charlotte weren't even the original contestants. They were the "replacements" who stepped in after Jesse and Paige walked away mid-season. Imagine jumping into a half-finished renovation, dealing with the drama of the "Red Team" (Courtney and Grant), and then coming out $1.65 million richer. Honestly, it’s the kind of luck that makes people want to apply for the show despite the 4:00 AM starts.
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What People Get Wrong About the Resort "Ruins"
Channel 9 loves a narrative. The 2024 season was marketed as "The Block Island," a rescue mission for a crumbling, abandoned resort.
But here’s the thing: locals weren't buying it.
Before the cameras rolled, the Island Cove Villas were a functional, if slightly dated, holiday retreat. Some of the "before" photos used in the marketing looked suspiciously like the producers had helped the decay along a bit for the sake of a good "Save the Island" storyline. The network paid about $9.5 million for the site originally. By the time the auctions wrapped, the total value had skyrocketed, but the idea that these were "unlivable ruins" was mostly TV magic.
Design Styles That Actually Sold
The judges, Marty Fox, Shaynna Blaze, and Darren Palmer, were obsessed with "amenity" this year. We weren't just looking at bedrooms; we were looking at a communal clubhouse that felt like a six-star hotel.
Courtney and Grant pioneered the "Moditerranean" look—think Mediterranean arches but with a modern, Australian coastal twist. It was a hit. Then you had Kristian and Mimi’s "Japan-state" bedheads and their double-storey layout, which was the only one on the block.
But the real value wasn't just the houses. It was the stuff they built together:
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- A wellness centre with a sauna for eight people.
- Double ice baths (because apparently, everyone is an athlete now).
- A cinema and a "Blocky-Wood" walk of fame.
- A communal kitchen with a massive pizza oven.
The Daylesford Disaster of 2025
If Phillip Island was a high, the 2025 season in Daylesford was a reality check.
Without Adrian Portelli in the room—he officially retired from The Block auctions after the Phillip Island sweep—the market looked very different. It was a "disaster," according to many fans.
The reserves were set around $3 million. In a town where the median house price is closer to $820,000, that was a massive gamble. Two houses failed to sell on the day. Han and Can, the twins with the bold architectural choices, stood there in silence as not a single bid came in. No one.
It was awkward. It was heartbreaking.
Emma and Ben, who literally had a baby during filming, also saw their house pass in at $2.97 million. When the "hype" of the TV show fades, you’re left with a very expensive house in a regional town. If the local market can’t support a $3 million price tag, the "Block effect" only goes so far.
Where Are the Houses Now?
Most people assume the contestants live in these homes. They don't. They never do.
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The The Block Australia houses on Phillip Island are currently part of Portelli’s massive LMCT+ portfolio. If you don't know LMCT+, it’s a rewards club where people pay a subscription for the chance to win luxury cars and, you guessed it, houses.
Most of these properties end up as giveaway prizes. Or, they get rented out as high-end holiday stays.
If you're planning a trip to Cowes or the Penguin Parade, you can actually drive past the site. It’s a gated community now, but the distinct "Moditerranean" facades are hard to miss.
Why the Location Matters
Phillip Island worked because it's only two hours from Melbourne. It’s a weekend playground. Daylesford should have worked for the same reason, but the price-to-value ratio was just too skewed. Moving into 2026, the show is reportedly heading to Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula.
Critics are already saying it’s another "luxury trap," but the producers seem convinced that the higher the price tag, the better the drama.
Actionable Insights for Block Super-Fans
If you're tracking these properties for investment or just curious about the real estate reality, keep these three things in mind:
- The "Depreciation Schedule" is the real winner. Investors love The Block houses because they can claim massive tax deductions (sometimes up to $5 million) due to the brand-new fittings and construction. This is often why the sale prices seem "insane" to regular buyers.
- The "Lambo Guy" Factor is gone. With Adrian Portelli out of the bidding war, don't expect the $1 million+ profits to be the norm anymore. The 2025 results proved that without a "super-buyer," these houses have to stand on their own merit in a tough market.
- Watch the Land Size. In Daylesford, the houses were on 2,000sqm blocks, which is huge for the area. When comparing The Block prices to local medians, always check the land size. Often, the show's houses are double or triple the size of a standard local lot.
To see the current market value of past homes, you can check the "Sold" section on Domain or RealEstate.com.au for suburbs like Hampton, Brighton, and Cowes. You'll often find that some "Block" houses sell for less a few years later once the TV sparkle has worn off.
Next up, you should research the specific tax depreciation benefits for new builds in Victoria, as that's the secret reason these prices stay so high.