Everything You Need to Know About The Block 2020
- 20 Nov 2020
Five period homes from the 1910s, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, all in a dire state, have been uprooted and transported to a block of land in the heart of sunny and affluent Brighton in Melbourne.
Welcome to The Block 2020.
From houses to couples, room winners and everything in between this season.
This year’s Block is within walking distance of the beach and minutes from the world- famous Brighton Beach Boxes.
“We always change our show up and make it fresh and I think this is a great way of doing that, by having houses themed according to different decades,” says Scott Cam, the host of The Block who in 2020 is celebrating 20 years on television.
The Block Brighton is Scott Cam’s 14th build as the program host, and he thought he had seen it all until this year.
“I love that we are getting back to renovating family homes as well. People can watch The Block and see what the contestants are doing and get inspired to do it themselves.”
After overcoming all sorts of complex challenges in previous seasons, this year The Block encountered something that could never be planned for: dealing with a global health pandemic.
This will be the season that goes down in history as it captures the first ever shutdown of The Block, and the way the program was able to resume production in a world grappling with the upheaval of COVID-19.
Block hosts Scott and Shelley pictured in front of those fabulous Brighton beach boxes.
“It was an incredibly tough decision, but I firmly believe it was the right thing to do,” says executive producer, Julian Cress. “At the time it was kind of heartbreaking, but we were able to get our contestants back to their kids and loved ones, which was the most important thing.”
“It has been really tough, but the contestants and the crew have been fantastic,” says Scott. “We got through it and we are all very proud.”
We love the new Block logo with the world-famous Brighton Beach Boxes.
Architect Julian Brenchley has designed the renovations, which maintain the five old period houses and include new two-storey extensions at the rear. Each house now has at least four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a huge kitchen, dining and living area, plus a double garage with a studio.
“This time around we looked at preserving some of the period aspects of each house,” Julian says. “It’s been really interesting to explore five different renovations of five houses because in the past they were all roughly the same design.”
And as if homes this close to the beach don’t already sound good enough, for the first time on The Block each one will also have its own swimming pool.
Joining Scott Cam again this season will be his Block co-host, Shelley Craft, site foremen Keith and Dan, and Australia’s favourite renovation judges: Neale Whitaker, Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer.
Site foremen Keith and Dan return for The Block 2020.
“I think we can expect some incredible work from our five couples, and I also think the fact that the five houses are from different eras is a genius idea,” says Shelley.
The contestants from across Australia can again be expected to provide all the laughs, tears and frustrations, the satisfying highs and the dispiriting lows of the renovation rollercoaster, and Scott believes we are in for a brilliant season.
“It’s going to be very challenging, but we have a great group of contestants who everyone will fall in love with,” he says.
THE LOCATION – BRIGHTON AT A GLANCE:
-Brighton is 12 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD.
-The median price for a four-bedroom house is $2.9 million.
-The median price for a five-bedroom house is $3.68 million.
-The last reported sale of a rare Brighton Beach Box was a remarkable $340,000 in 2019.
-Brighton is easily accessible via Melbourne’s Nepean Highway.
Meet the 2020 Block contestants:
Daniel and Jade
For South Australian farmers Daniel (35) and Jade (34), taking on The Block is all about pushing themselves outside their comfort zone.
As parents of three, including a young daughter who has struggled with health problems all her life, they often ask their kids to take on challenges and learn from new experiences.
And if you’re going to ask that of others, says hairdresser Jade, you’d better be prepared to do it yourself!
“The Block is going to be a huge challenge!” she says. “We’ve watched every episode, but we don’t know what to expect really, we don’t know who we’ll be up against, what the challenges will be… we can’t wait!”
Living on a farm, the pair have faced droughts, bushfires and more, learning how to build, renovate or repair almost everything that makes up a home along the way.
With those skills and a clear vision of what they want to create, Team South Australia is out to turn their Block home into a high-end luxury property fit for one of Australia’s most sought-after suburbs.
And anything that gets in their way? They’ll just work through it.
More on Daniel and Jade HERE
Take a close look and shop Daniel & Jade's home HERE
Jimmy and Tam
Fit, fast and filled with a determination to win, Queensland couple Jimmy (33) and Tam (31) are the team with no off switch.
“We’re both really hard-working people,” says bar manager Tam. “Jimmy is just go, go, go and because we’re quite competitive, once we start, there’s no stopping.”
And what they plan to start, Jimmy says, is a house unlike anything seen on The Block before.
“I think we bring a different look to The Block,” says the plumber. “The style Tam has is something that’s never been here before, things won’t be black and white, we’re bringing colours people won’t expect and our unique style, with hidden doors, quirky design ideas and more. We’re here to shake things up.”
Happy to live with the “quirky Queenslanders” label, Tam says it’s her aim to show Australia you can think outside the square when it comes to renovating.
“We’re not going to play anything safe,” she says. “We want to show people what we’re capable of and what they can do with their homes as well.”
More on Jimmy and Tam HERE
Take a close look and shop Jimmy & Tam's home HERE
Harry and Tash
As the first dad-and-daughter team to take on The Block, Harry (57) and Tash (33) say they have one big advantage over the other couples – they know exactly what each other is thinking.
“We’ve known each other for longer than any of the other teams,” laughs Tash, “In fact, I’ve known Harry all my life!”
It’s unbreakable bond the pair say and one that will get them through The Block no matter what challenges are thrown at them.
“If you’re going to do this, you want to do it with someone you know is definitely going to have your back,” Tash says.
“Don’t get me wrong, we’ll have disagreements along the way, but we’ll always work it out.”
They have to Harry jokes, because: “you can’t divorce your kids, you have them for life!”
IT manager Harry is an enthusiastic home builder and handyman who is happy to turn his hand to any challenge, while social media producer Tash has the eye for style they’re hoping will get them to the top of The Block.
More on Harry and Tash HERE
Take a close look and shop Harry & Tash's home HERE
Luke and Jasmin
When chippy Luke (35) first met his wife Jasmin (36), he’d just come back from the adventure of a lifetime. A crew member on a deep-ocean fishing boat, he’d spent months at sea, including in the sub-Antarctic waters and was back in Perth to decide what he wanted to do with his life.
When he saw Jasmin across a crowded room, he says, he knew what he wanted was to spend his life with her… and the two have been sharing adventures ever since.
“Jas deferred her teaching degree to come and live with me in Brisbane for a year, then once she completed her course we moved to London where she taught while I learned to build,” Luke says.
“And when we wanted to start a family, it was back home to Perth for that great adventure.”
Tackling The Block, Jasmin says, is just another challenge the pair wanted to try.
“We’re not people who like to just sit down and plod along,” Jasmin says. “The Block is hard and challenging, but it did look like something that between our skillsets we could have a go at!”
And what can viewers expect to see from Team Western Australia? “We won’t give up,” Jasmin says.
“We’re a solid couple, we’re a solid duo. We have fun along the way, but when the going gets tough we don’t give up!”
More on Luke and Jasmin HERE
Take a close look and shop Luke & Jasmin's home HERE
Sarah and George
They’re the young Sydneysiders who took on The Block to challenge themselves, but Sarah (27) and George (33) have another mission for The Block 2020 – they want to have fun.
“Although we’ll take The Block very seriously, I think we’re going to just embrace the whole experience for what it is and enjoy ourselves at the same time,” Sarah says.
“Going on The Block you’re granted the opportunity to experience something not many people will ever do in their lives. So, I think when it gets hard, we’ll just remind each other that it’s not forever, so just embrace it, get on with it and enjoy it.
“We love to have fun and we’ll just be us!” says Sarah.
But don’t underestimate this team, they both say. George might have an awesome Pokemon card collection and Sarah still loves finding the laughs in everything she does, but they’re also in it to win it.
“We know it’ll be very challenging,” electrician George says, “It’s one thing to work on a construction site where you can come back and finish the next day if you run out of time, but if you don’t finish on The Block, you don’t reveal a room. We don’t want that!
“So, we’re not just here for the LOLs, we’re also here to show we belong and we’ve got what it takes.”
More on Sarah and George HERE
Take a close look and shop Sarah & George's home HERE
The contestants receive the architect's plans and have a first glimpse of what is ahead of them.
What can we expect to see from the five different houses this year?
The judges are expecting the contestants to build and style their homes as per the five different eras spanning from 1910 to 1950s. From art nouveau to art deco right through to mid-century modern.
Take a look at back at the interior design and decor from the past decades HERE
Jimmy and Tam are definitely meeting the 1950's brief!
In 2020 The Block has had to manage a global pandemic:
Scott Cam talks to Insider Style about how The Block managed 2020's most unexpected shock - Covid-19.
Read more HERE
“It was a very tough decision because I knew I was also putting a lot of people out of work,” Scott Cam tells Insider Style.
The contestants watching the life-changing Scott Morrison nation address.
The Block judges are back:
Insider Style chats to the 2020 Block judges Darren Palmer, Shaynna Blaze and Neale Whitaker.
So, just what are the judges looking for? Like the trio themselves, the answer to that is very different for each of them...
Read more HERE
Darren, Shaynna and Neale shining in front of those stunning Brighton beach boxes.
Take a look behind the scenes at The Block homes:
Five-period homes from the 1910s, 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, have been rescued from demolishment, uprooted and transported to a 2761-square metre block of land in the heart of sunny and affluent Brighton bayside suburb of Melbourne. There they wait to be brought back to life by five eager new couples. We have a sneak peek of The Block homes in their original locations before being relocated to Brighton!
Check them out HERE
Number 5 - Jimmy and Tam's home. Image with thanks to Domain.com
Meet Block fan Karen who immediately knew house 5 was no ordinary fixer-upper – this was her family home!
2020 Design Trend - Curves!
From bathrooms to kitchens, living rooms and more, The Block is bringing back the curve. Shaynna Blaze talks to the Block Shop on the latest trend HERE
Luke and Jasmin leading the charge with their breathtaking bathroom incorporating a curved wall.
The Block 2020 room reveals:
Week 1. Guest bedroom - winners Jimmy and Tam
All the details of the couples guest bedrooms HERE
Week 2. Guest Ensuite - winners Jimmy and Tam
All the details of the couples guest ensuite HERE
3. Master Bedroom - winners Harry and Tash
All the details of the couples Master bedrooms HERE
Week 4. Master Ensuite - it's a tie! Luke and Jasmin with Jimmy and Tam
All the details of the couples master ensuite HERE
Week 5. Guest bedroom and Ensuite - winners are Luke and Jasmin with a perfect score
Luke and Jasmin delivered a kids bedroom and bathroom that was practically perfect according to judges Shaynna, Darren and Neale. Catch up on all the week 5 rooms HERE
Week 6. Kitchen Reveal - Winners are Daniel and Jade
Take a close look and shop Daniel and Jade's winning kitchen HERE
Week 7. Living and Dining Reveal - Harry & Tash WINNERS!
Take a close look all the living and dining rooms HERE
Week 8. Upstairs Reveal - Sarah & George take out their first win!
Take a close look and shop all the upstairs rooms HERE
Week 9. Hallway Hell Week - Jimmy and Tam take out the win from Luke and Jasmin by using the gnome.
Take a close look and shop Jimmy and Tam's winning hallway HERE
Week 10. Front Garden and Facade reveal - It's a tie! Jimmy and Tam equal first with Sarah and George.
Take a close look and shop Jimmy and Tam's winning front garden HERE
Take a close look and shop Sarah & George's winning front garden HERE
Block week 11 - Studio & garage reveal - Sarah and George take the win!
Take a close look and shop Sarah and George's winning studio and garage HERE
Week 12. Backyard and Pool Reveal Sarah and George take first place with a perfect score 30/30!!!!!
Take a close look and shop Sarah and George's winning backyard HERE
With auction day fast approaching, we sit down with each of the couples to talk about their futures and reflect on their Block experience and who will win HERE
The Block Class of 2020! Our biggest congratulations to you for the massive efforts you put in we are so proud of you all.
2020 Auction results
House 1 Harry & Tash
Reserve $3,350,000. Sold for $4,000,000 ($650,000 profit)
House 2 Sarah & George
Reserve $3,350,000. Sold for $4,000,002 ($650,002 profit)
House 3 Daniel & Jade
Reserve, $3,340,000. Sold for $3,800,000 ($460,000 profit)
House 4 Luke & Jasmin
Reserve $3,350,000, sold for $3,856,00 ($506,000 profit)
House 5 Jimmy & Tam
Reserve $3,290,000. Sold for $4,256,000 ($966,000 profit, PLUS $100,000 prize money = a Block record breacking $1,066,000)
History of The Block including all the past auction results HERE
