The Block 2026 fans have been left talking after longtime host Shelley Craft accidentally revealed the reserve prices for all five Mount Eliza properties, and there’s one detail in particular that has caught their attention.
In a surprise appearance on Today, Shelley joined hosts Tom Steinfort and Sylvia Jeffreys to discuss Victoria’s new property laws, which require homeowners to publicly disclose their reserve prices ahead of auction.
However, the conversation quickly turned into an unexpected spoiler when Shelley admitted she already knew the figures for this year’s The Block homes.
“This is unknown territory of us to know what the reserves are, I do know what they are… keeping tight-lipped about that is really difficult,” she confessed.
Sylvia wasn’t about to let the opportunity pass, encouraging Shelley to reveal the highly anticipated numbers.
“Should I reveal them now?” Shelley asked, before confirming that all five properties have been given an identical reserve price of $3.45 million.
The homes also have a sale guide of between $3.6 million and $3.9 million, meaning contestants will need to secure a pretty impressive auction result if they’re hoping to walk away with a sizeable profit.
The figures are particularly significant because this year’s Mount Eliza properties will be among the first to fall under Victoria’s new reserve price disclosure laws.
“They will have to reveal their reserves, it’ll be printed on Domain — you’ll see that below the listing for the world to see,” Shelley explained.
The host also joked that The Block executives would probably be heading downstairs to have a word with her after letting the secret slip a week ahead of schedule.
“We have to tell you next week anyway!” she added.
The Block fans question whether identical reserve prices are fair
Shelley’s surprise reveal has sparked plenty of debate among The Block fans, with viewers questioning whether the $3.45 million reserves are fair, realistic and low enough for contestants to make a profit.
One Reddit user questioned why all five homes had been given identical reserves, despite differences in land size, privacy and water views.
“I don’t understand why all the reserves are the same,” they wrote, pointing out that House 5 has a significantly larger block (1,435sqm) than House 4 (1,089sqm).
“Having the same reserve between uptown and downtown also doesn’t seem fair when considering the water views — even if those views might be built out later.”
The viewer also suggested the contestants behind House 4 may have expected a lower reserve when choosing their property, given its smaller size and lack of views compared to House 5. Based on the figures, they predicted House 5 would come out on top.
Others questioned whether the properties were worth anywhere near their multimillion-dollar reserves, with one viewer calling on the show to justify the figures using comparable local sales.
“Looking at sales in Mount Eliza over the past six months, these Block properties should be priced at around $2.5m,” they wrote, adding that the contestants could struggle to make money again this year.
Another fan admitted they were surprised by the figures, saying: “I’m surprised they are this low, to be honest. I was thinking they were going to have a reserve of $4 million (that’s not to say that they are worth $4 million).”
“That was lower than I was expecting, still extremely ridiculous for that area though,” another said. “The depreciation schedule will probably see a couple of them sold at least.”
While some viewers were relieved the reserves weren’t higher, others remained concerned about the financial risks contestants face.
“Two to three houses definitely not taking home anything this year… again…” one person predicted.
“The Block is becoming a risk to be involved with, as three to four months of your time could just be completely lost, for not just no gain, but a huge financial loss, as you are not working at all during that time at your usual job.”
Not everyone was pessimistic, though, with one fan commenting: “I think the reserves are pretty good, to be honest.”
Another agreed, writing: “I think they have a better chance now of getting some money.”
With all five teams needing to sell above $3.45 million to make a profit, viewers will be watching closely to see whether this year’s auction delivers the payday contestants are hoping for.
The Block airs Sunday – Wednesday on Channel 9 and 9Now.
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