Fans will be on the edge of their seats on Sunday as the Block auction for 2025 brings the 21st season of Nine’s ratings juggernaut to a close.
And the Daylesford Blockheads will all be hoping that buyers will be willing to part with millions – in the hope of bigger and better returns in the future.
Still, The Block has far from a perfect record in the volatile real estate market over its two decades on the air.
So ahead of Sunday’s auction, here’s a look back at its very first renovations.
Hosted by celebrity gardener Jamie Durie, The Block kicked off in June 2003.
The location was a run-down four-bedroom apartment block in Bondi, Sydney’s celebrated surf suburb.
Ahead of Sunday’s auction, here’s a look back at its very first renovations to see what they look like now and how much they are worth. Pictured: Host celebrity gardener Jamie Durie
The Block kicked off in June 2003. Pictured: The location as it appeared in the debut season – a was a run-down four-bedroom apartment block in Sydney’s famed beach suburb Bondi
Adam Thorn and Fiona Mills went home winners of the $100,000 in prize money after an anonymous woman snapped up their gorgeous two-bedroom Unit 1 for $751,000. It resold for the first time since The Block in 2023 for a handsome $1.45 million. Pictured as seen in the listing from September 2023
Situated just minutes from the neighbourhood’s famous beach, it was dubbed a ‘renovator’s delight’ – since all four flats were in the worst condition imaginable.
Producers then splashed out on a quick fix-up, making repairs and improvements on each of the identical units to create ‘a level playing field’ for the Blockheads.
When it came to auction time, buyers spent a total of $2.82 million.
Married couple Adam Thorn and Fiona Mills went home winners of the $100,000 in prize money after an anonymous woman snapped up their gorgeous two-bedroom Unit 1 for $751,000.
The sale landed the pair a nice profit of $156,000. It resold for the first time since The Block in 2023 for a handsome $1.45 million.
The listing photos used at the time of the sale showed that the ground-floor flats’ courtyard had seen better days, with the decorative privacy screen a grim grey colour.
Neighbouring Unit 2 has had a not-so-impressive history on the market, re-selling in 2005 for a very poor $560,500 after going under the hammer on The Block two years earlier for $670,000.
It was on the market again in April 2024, with listing photos showing a worn-out timber deck and a dated kitchen decor.
Unit 2 has had a not-so-impressive history on the market, re-selling in 2005 for a very poor $560,500 after going under the hammer on The Block two years earlier for $670,000. It was on the market again in April 2024, with listing photos showing a worn-out timber deck and dated kitchen decor. (Pictured)
Of all the flats in the Bondi block, Unit 4 has changed hands the most, selling three times since it was bought on the show for $747,000. Pictured: The flat listed in April, 2024
Unit 3 has had a similar chequered history on the market. After attracting a cool $655,000 on The Block’s big day, it went off in 2005 for a crushing $555,000. Pictured: The flat as it appeared in listings in 2021 when it sold for $1,765,000
Unit 3 has had a similar chequered history on the market. After attracting a cool $655,000 on The Block’s big day, it went off in 2005 for a crushing $555,000.
The second-storey pad bounced back in 2021, selling for $1,765,000. Pictures in the listing at the time show an attractive balcony breakfast nook, and what appears to be freshly polished floorboards.
Of all the flats in the Bondi block, Unit 4 has changed hands the most, selling three times since it was bought on the show for $747,000.
It was re-sold in 2009 for a disappointing $765,150, sold again in 2011 for an undisclosed sum, and then hit the market once more in 2019, where it achieved an impressive $1,415,000 for the owners.
Photos from August 2019 showed off the unit as a stylish pad in top condition.
Meanwhile, recent snaps of the Bondi block show that the façade is in good shape, though the timber work on the front fence could use a spruce-up.
After netting massive ratings, Nine got the second season off the ground less than a year later.
Dropping in April 2004, season two was set in Manly, with the teams facing the challenge of renovating another worn-out apartment block.
Andrew Rochford and his then-girlfriend Jamie Nicholson went home season 2 winners after their stunning Unit 2 was sold for $868,000, leaving them with a profit of $178,000. Pictured in 2009 when it sold in $890,000 and hasn’t been on the market since
The Block Season 2: Unit 1 showed disappointing resale in 2008 when it was offloaded for $828,000 after its $872,000 auction on The Block. Pictured in 2014, when it sold for $1.14m
Controversy came early when husband and wife team Dani and Monique Bacha were forced to leave the show after details about Bacha’s criminal past emerged in the press.
In the end, Andrew Rochford and his then-girlfriend Jamie Nicholson went home winners after their stunning Unit 2 was sold for $868,000, leaving them with a profit of $178,000
It was later sold for a hardly exciting $890,000 in 2009, though it hasn’t been on the market since.
Pictures from the listing show the flat was a stylish pad with a chic al fresco dining retreat with decorative lighting.
Unit 4 has not been listed since it was resold for $800,000 in 2009 – a disappointing result since it was for the same price it scored on the Block auction five years earlier.
Meanwhile, Unit 3 has had the most exciting history of the renos featured in 2004, changing hands four times after going for $795,000 in the Block auction.
It was resold in 2007 for a miserable $720,000, and bounced back slightly for a $785,000 resale in 2012.
The beautifully designed home was offloaded again in 2016 for $1,435,000, before its most recent sale in 2021, when it landed a whopping $2,500,000 for the vendors.
Unit 3 has had the most exciting history of the renos featured in 2004, changing hands four times after going for $795,000 in the Block auction. Pictured: Pictures shared online for the most recent listing show the upstairs flat as a chic spread with an open plan design
Pictures shared online for the most recent listing show the upstairs flat as a chic spread with spacious living areas, an open plan design and skylights.
Finally, Unit 1 also showed a disappointing resale in 2008 when it was offloaded for $828,000 after its $872,000 auction on The Block.
It’s been off the market since 2014, when it sold for a cool $1,140,000.
Photos from the 2014 listing show the ground-floor unit in excellent condition, with a chic kitchen and a beautiful patio with a timer deck.
As for the façade of the Manly block, pictures found online, taken in May 2025, the timber slats on the window screens are loose in the frame, creating an unattractive and shabby look.
