Stuart Zullo 
After 6 weeks of crazy budgeting, impeccable design and a lot of hard work and elbow grease, The Block All Stars contestants wound up their series last night with four big auctions in Bondi. It was tough to pick a winner. Every house was staged to show off its comfort, spaciousness and liveability. Each of the couples had their own style, and brought a heap of personality and entertainment to our screens. Most people that we chatted to on the streets of Liverpool had their favourites – favourite rooms, favourite houses and favourite couples. So just how did yours fair in last night’s big finale?
SPOLIER ALERT* The auction results were:
Auction 1: Josh and Jenna. Reserve $1,375,000. Sold $1,650,000. Profit $275,000
Auction 2: Mark and Duncan. Reserve $1,345,000. Sold $1,370,000. Profit $25,000
Auction 3: Dan and Dani. Reserve $1,355,000. Sold $1,575,000. Profit $220,000
Auction 4: Phil and Amity. Reserve $1,375,000. Sold $1,670,000. Profit $295,000 (WINNERS)
With 3 couples making over $200,000 profit, and $275,000 separating the first and last couple, it was a profitable night with mixed fortunes. All houses sold on the night, making the season an overall success, but we’re sure many felt for the boys who had faced a number of challenges this season outside of their own renovation, and made the smallest overall profit from their home.
But was the result a complete surprise? While Mark and Duncan won over many hearts along the way to the series end, were they ever expected to win?
We’ve all heard the saying ‘fortune favours the brave’, and Mark and Duncan were certainly brave with their eclectic styling, bathroom urinal and decision to create a fabulous children’s bedroom rather than follow suite with a neutral guest room. Unfortunately, when renovating for the purposes of flipping properties, bravery and courage are not generally considered winning virtues. In fact, sticking to neutral colour schemes and classic pieces of furniture, while making the most of all of your spaces, will typically entice the most buyers.
Phil and Amity on the other hand well and truly stuck to the brief for flipping houses. They kept their home light, open and immaculate. They transformed the laundry space to a laundry/second bathroom, and were the only couple to create a mezzanine level above their kitchen for additional living space. In short, they nailed it, and we’d advise anybody renovating for the purpose of making a profit should take a leaf out of their book.
So tell us Liverpool residents, were you happy with the auction results? Did your favourite couple win? If you were going to renovate your own slice of Liverpool real estate, which couple would you want on hand to help?