The Block | Room Reveal | Week 12 Facade and Yard

This will be the vital first impression any potential buyer will have, the view that tells them what to expect inside, so it has to be just right. With everything from welcoming gates to sculptures, water features, and even a pop-up cinema, the contestants gave it their all.  But who gave that extra effort to take out the win?

Sonny & Alicia (First place)

With pride of place taken up by their huge Titanium caravan, two entry gates, massive established Chinese Elm trees, and a beautiful kangaroo sculpture relaxing on the lawn, Sonny & Alicia’s front yard took the judges' breath away.

The borrowed MG ute didn’t hurt either!  Walking out of the beautifully finished hallway past artworks, including Wild Romance-Heidi Maunder Artist Lane and I Look to the Hills-Jaclyn Poke Artist Lane through the frosted glass front door to the concreted access ramp, the judges were stunned by what they saw. "This is the perfect thing I've been looking for all day," Dave Franklin said when he spotted sculptor Matt Hill’s creation.

“Simple but truly elegant,” Darren added as he looked past the Roo to take in the yard with Manchurian Pears ready to provide privacy and the three statement elms surrounded by usable lawn. It is, Marty finished, a house with a soul.

Emma & Ben (Second place)

The first block house to have its own nameplate, The Hills of Cedar Lane, presented a “lush” façade and yard, Darren said as he stepped through the hallways with artwork by Kamilya Lowana White and onto the access landing to take in the rolling yard that was a continuation of the road.

With a huge driveway (and extra borrowed parking outside the gates), bordered by a native-plant-dominated yard all matched to the cedar trees behind, this felt established, Shaynna said, and would only get better.

Only a missing gate and some last-minute presentation glitches prevented this from being a runaway winner, Dave said, and they were all easily fixed.

Han & Can (Third place)

Out of the Christian Cole door into an Asian-inspired front yard, the judges found a lot to admire. The Japanese Torii gate-themed front gate, the meandering path to the front door, bamboo groves waiting to grow, and the name – Flow Estate.

But did it flow? Shaynna asked. The pottery water feature certainly did, Dave said, and the established Trachycarpus tree with a variety of planting helped too, but was the Japanese theme of the front and back reflected inside? Possibly not.

Either way, the judges said, the way the house presents itself was perfectly achieved, with buyers certainly not likely to forget where they were!

Robby & Matt (Fourth place)

Through a hallway showcasing a beautiful Mimmi and Jiinda painting and the matched Jaherl Ngurum One and Two by Brad Turner, then out of the Christian Cole door, Dave Franklin found what he thought was the “most sustainable front yard on The Block” with mounds, boulders, and native plants hiding paths to the side and garage, all complemented by an access deck.

It was underwhelming right now, he said, but would grow. The ideal entrée for the main course that is the backyard, Marty said, was expertly done but clearly on a budget.

The façade, in Hardie board and batten cladding painted Bellinzona Black, was sophisticated, Marty said, and on any other week, it would all combine for ten out of ten. Just not this week!

Britt & Taz (Fifth place)

Down the hallway and out the glass front door – a controversial choice given it means anyone can see straight inside – to the front yard, the judges found a “sparse” space, clearly the victim of budget woes.

But did it matter? they wondered as they took in the beautiful Grafico-printed 4D Door (the real version, that is, not the prank!) that tied the house to the country and welcomed visitors and buyers inside.

The edges were planted well, Dave said, but the centre felt bare, and not even the dry “creek bed” feature or space for a moonlight cinema could make things better. “It’s a really good feature!” Marty said, But it may have taken resources away from the front where they were needed.

Click here to see the full gallery of images.