It was high drama in Daylesford as five new homes from The Block went under the hammer on Sunday — delivering tense auctions, mixed fortunes, and a clear sign that this year’s profits have fallen sharply compared to last season’s record-breaking results.

While Britt and Taz walked away as champions, pocketing more than half a million dollars, the overall outcome was notably more subdued. The combined winnings of $749,000.1 were dramatically lower than last year’s Adrian Portelli fueled mega haul on Phillip Island, confirming a downturn in buyer appetite and a tougher property climate for 2025.

Three of the five homes earned six-figure profits, while two failed to sell — a stark contrast to last year’s clean sweep of sales and multi-million-dollar payouts.

The Block’s Daylesford auctions proved that even reality TV can’t escape real-world housing pressures. (images – Channel 9)

The Daylesford finale began with all five couples agreeing on the auction order — a united front heading into what was described as their biggest day of the season. But the mood shifted when contestants discovered their reserve prices were all locked at $2.99 million, sparking anxiety before the first hammer even fell.

Britt and Taz, the Western Australian police officers behind House 3, were first up and set an early high point. Their home fetched $3,410,000, earning a $420,000 profit. Producers said the winning bid came from a new buyer to The Block, bringing fresh competition but ultimately not enough to lift overall results.

Britt and Taz’s hard work paid off as the Western Australian police officers stormed to victory on The Block, pocketing $520,000 and making series history.

Robby and Mat of House 5 followed and faced the familiar presence of Danny Wallis, the IT businessman and long-time Block bidder. Wallis clinched their home with a quirky $3,099,000.01 bid, giving the South Australian duo $109,000.01 profit — a result that underscored how far profits had dropped since last year’s million-dollar margins.

South Australian duo Robby and Mat scored just $109,000.01 in profit after veteran bidder Danny Wallis swooped in with another trademark odd-numbered offer.

Momentum then stalled for Em and Ben in House 1, as bidding stopped at $2.97 million. After a vendor bid of $3.10 million, the home was passed in with no buyer engagement.

Victorian parents Em and Ben endured heartbreak as their home was passed in after failing to attract a buyer beyond $2.97 million, reflecting the tougher property climate.

Sonny and Alicia in House 4 entered with a $50,000 reserve reduction from their Week 12 win, bringing it down to $2.94 million. After a vendor bid of $3.05 million, buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic of Advantage Property Consulting placed the winning bid of $3,060,000, resulting in a $120,000 profit for the Queensland parents.

Queensland couple Sonny and Alicia took home $120,000 in profit after buyers’ advocate Frank Valentic snapped up their family-friendly renovation at $3.06 million.

The final auction, Han and Can in House 2, began with a vendor bid of $3.10 million, but again, no buyers emerged and the property was passed in — marking two unsold homes for the day.

Melbourne twins Han and Can faced disappointment when their architecturally bold home was passed in without a bid, marking one of the season’s toughest auction moments.

When the dust settled, Britt and Taz claimed a total of $520,000, including their $100,000 prize money, and became the first Western Australian team to win The Block.

“It’s phenomenal to walk away with a reward like this for all the hard work we have put into it.

This is life-changing for us, it’s incredible. It’s our mortgage paid off.

But it’s mixed emotions though as we really wanted everyone to walk away a winner and sell their houses.

I thought our auction set the tone for everyone else. We took it upon ourselves to do that, and we were shocked more than anything.

We had worked as a team right to the end, so it’s just a bit hard for us to see what has happened today.”

Taz said he was very proud of Britt, admitting he wasn’t initially as keen to apply for the show. He explained that they had put it on the back burner for the last few years because it was never the right time, but finally I couldn’t say no to Britt anymore. He added,

“She never faltered from day one. She had a vision and she did it.”

“I’m so proud of Taz too. He worked so hard. We sacrificed so much to be here and to get this result. While bittersweet about what happened, we are proud of ourselves.” — Britt

Host Scott Cam said the results reflected a more realistic property market than in previous seasons.

“Today was more realistic of what mums and dads are going through when they are selling their homes. Some are successful and some are not.”

He said the production team had spent three months with the couples and wanted all to succeed.

“Em and Ben and Han and Can weren’t able to do it today, but they still have the opportunity to be rewarded for their hard work as the houses go back on the market.”

Cam congratulated Britt and Taz on their very well-deserved win and praised the beautiful home they created, but acknowledged that lower profits across the board showed just how tough the market has become.

Executive Producer Julian Cress agreed, saying auction day is always stressful but this year carried extra pressure.

“Auction day is hard for all of us. There is no other day of the year we wake up feeling physically ill when we go to work.

We are worried sick because we get so close to our contestants over the months and we want everyone to do well.”

He described the finale as bittersweet, noting it was amazing to see two coppers from the Pilbara make half a million dollars, but tough to watch Emma and Ben and Han and Can pass in.

“It was an up and down and sometimes very tough day for some.”