With The Block 2026 heading towards its highly anticipated auctions, a new report has claimed the homes may have undergone significant work after filming wrapped in order to get them ready for sale.
According to New Idea, Channel Nine and production company Cavalier Productions have reportedly approved extensive renovations to several of the Mount Eliza properties in the lead-up to auction day, with the publication alleging hundreds of thousands of dollars has been spent on finishing touches.
The reported works come after viewers spent the season watching contestants battle shrinking budgets, unfinished rooms and impossible deadlines as they raced to complete their homes.
Some of the biggest renovations reportedly happened after filming
While the teams have long since packed up their tools, New Idea reports that work on some of the homes has continued behind the scenes.
The publication claims one of the most significant projects involved Rick and Tayla’s property, where a reconstruction of the back porch reportedly took place after filming ended. According to sources, the work alone may have cost more than $200,000.
An insider told the publication the alleged renovations were far more substantial than minor cosmetic fixes.
“These aren’t little jobs that contestants could have finished over a weekend. Some of the work is substantial, and when you’re dealing with multimillion-dollar properties, the costs can become enormous,” the source claimed.
Could it spark more fairness debates?
If the reported renovations are accurate, they could reignite questions around fairness between the competing teams.
Throughout the season, contestants have clashed over budgets, accused one another of copying design ideas and debated whether some teams had advantages over others.
According to New Idea, insiders have questioned how significant post-production spending could affect perceptions of the competition, particularly if some homes required considerably more work than others before auction.
“If one house needs hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra work and another doesn’t, how does that factor into the competition and the end result for the teams?” the insider said.
“Everyone wants the houses to look incredible and sell for as much as possible, but it’s completely fair that contestants might want to know exactly what has been spent and where.”
There’s a lot riding on auction day
With the Mount Eliza homes expected to fetch multimillion-dollar price tags, New Idea reports there’s significant pressure for the auctions to be a success.
According to the publication’s source, producers are reportedly keen to avoid the possibility of unfinished homes or disappointing auction results overshadowing the season.
“The last thing anyone wants is to spend an entire season telling Australia these are incredible homes, only to have buyers turn around and say they’re not finished properly,” the insider claimed.
“There’s a lot riding on auction day, and everyone knows it.”
Neither Nine nor Cavalier Productions has publicly commented on the claims reported by New Idea.
The Block airs Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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