They were laughed at for not choosing a penthouse but Hayden and Sara have won The Block 2018 with a $3,020,000 apartment sale and a $645,000 prize.
Newlyweds Hayden Vale and Sara Tumino defied the odds to win as their apartment was auctioned second during the season’s final episode.
The old Gatwick Hotel in Fitzroy Street, St Kilda, went under the hammer as The Block came to a surprising conclusion, with all five apartments selling despite Melbourne’s auction clearance rate hitting a six-year low last weekend.
The season that featured the biggest renovations ever ended up with an auction clearance rate of 100%. This was despite a gloomy forecast from the Domain experts at the start of the show, who reminded the contestants and viewers that Melbourne was in the middle of the quickest downturn in house price history and that the sellers were looking at the most challenging real estate market since 2011.
That year just happened to deliver the smallest winning prize ever in The Block history when Polly and Waz won in Richmond with “just” $115,000.
The apartments this year all sold with profits ranging from $209,000 to $545,000 (Hayden and Sara got an extra $100,000 for being the highest).
In auction order last night:
Kerrie & Spence, Reserve $2.423m, Sale $2.850m, Profit 415,000
Hayden & Sara, Reserve $2.475m, Sale 3.020m, Profit $545,000 (+$100,000)
Norm & Jess, Reserve $2.650m, Sale $2.859m, Profit $209,000
Bianca & Carla, Reserve $2.690m, Sale $2.991m, Profit 301,000
Courtney & Hans, Reserve $2.360m, Sale $2.770m, Profit $410,000
Total sale price $14,490,000
Total profit $1,980,000
Project manager Hayden and flight attendant Sara celebrated as the hammer came down on their apartment at $3,020,000. The price was $545,000 over their reserve, which claimed them the grand prize of an additional $100,000 – netting them a total of $645,000. The controversial pair also shared the news that they are expecting a baby boy next April.
They surprised audiences when they won the first challenge of the year and opted to renovate apartment 3 in the old Gatwick, bypassing the chance to build a brand-new penthouse. However, their decision paid off, with the three couples who renovated the old Gatwick apartments all making more than the two penthouse teams.
In second place were the South Australian renovators Kerrie and Spence, the oldest couple on the show, who took home a profit of $415,000 as their apartment sold for $2,850,000.
Kerrie and Spence
High-flying fiancés Courtney and Hans claimed a close third place when their apartment went under the hammer for $2,770,000. They walk away with a profit of $410,000. Their apartment was sold to the previous Gatwick owners, sisters Yvette Kelly and Rose Banks, who will now own a slice of the place they called home for nearly 50 years.
Flight attendants Hans & Courtney prepared for the worst
Best friends from Melbourne, Bianca and Carla, walked away in fourth position with a cool $301,000 when their penthouse sold for $2,991,000.
Bianca and Carla with Spence
Queenslanders Norm and Jess earned themselves $209,000 over the reserve when their penthouse sold for $2,859,000 in a nail-biting auction.
Queenslanders Norm and Jess
“The Block continues to be one of TV’s greatest success stories, and this season has been no exception, with the program continuing to dominate in all areas,” said Nine program director Hamish Turner.
“After 14 seasons, The Block regularly tops overnight rankings night after night. It continues to deliver across all platforms, with year on year increases on broadcast video on demand (BVOD).”
Scotty with the winners Sara and Hayden
Next season Scott Cam, along with Shelley Craft and the team, will be back for season 15 in 2019 at the historic Oslo Hotel in St Kilda.
The Block continues as Australia’s richest reality program, taking total prize money across 14 seasons to $20,775,501.
PREVIOUS BLOCK WINNERS
2003 – Bondi – Adam & Fiona, $256,000
2004 – Manly – Jamie & Andrew, $178,000
2010 – Vaucluse – John & Neisha, $305,000
2011 – Richmond – Polly & Waz, $115,000
2012 – South Melbourne – Brad & Lara, $606,000
2013 – All Stars (Bondi) – Phil & Amity, $395,000
2013 – Sky High (South Melbourne) – Alisa & Lysandra, $395,000
2014 – Fans v Faves (Albert Park) – Steve & Chantelle, $736,000
2014 – Glasshouse (Prahran) – Shannon & Simon, $435,000
2015 – Triple Threat (South Yarra) – Darren & Deanne, $935,000
2015 – The Blocktagon (South Yarra) – Dean & Shay, $755,000
2016 – The Block 2016 (Port Melbourne) – Will & Karlie, $815,000
2017 – The Block 2017 (Elsternwick) – Josh & Elyse, $547,000