'Others will catch on': The Block foreman Dan Reilly says 2025 season the most competitive yet with one couple's innovative approach set be copied
Nine's hit renovation series kicked off in the Victorian town of Daylesford last week, with five homes built from scratch set to go under the hammer.
Unlike previous seasons, each property has the exact same floor plan, putting the Blockheads under pressure to deliver rooms with a difference.
And best mates Robby and Mat haven't wasted any time, getting plans approved to install an underground wine cellar at the back of house 5.
The South Australian barbers have already emerged as this season's front-runners after winning week one's bathroom reveal on Sunday.
The boys claimed the victory over the other four couples with a tidy score of 26.5/30 from judges Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer, and Marty Fox.
However, speaking to SkyNews.com.au, Dan suggested Robby and Mat's fall from grace is fast approaching with other couples set to match their point of difference and install other bespoke features in their homes.
'Maybe others will catch on and start come up with some good ideas,' the foreman said with a cheeky grin at the TV WEEK Logie Awards in Sydney on Sunday evening.
'Every house is the exact same footprint, so it's really up to the contestants to try and come up with ideas of how they're going to differentiate from everyone else.
'How's their design going to be? Is it going to resonate with the buyers?
'And you've got to have big weapons, like we've seen the boys do, put a wine cellar.'
Dan warned the couples who don't have 'weapons' up their sleeves will get 'done' at the auctions, which will cap off the season in November.
The auctions will notably not feature star bidder Adrian Portelli, also known as 'Lambo guy' for his flashy designer yellow car on set.
Portelli retired his bidding paddle after purchasing all five Phillip Island homes in 2024 for $15.3 million.
He had dropped a total of $31.68 million on The Block houses since his first appearance on the hit renovation series in 2022.
Asked whether the Blockheads are nervous about their auctions this year without Portelli's domination, Dan said other 'big players' are out to bid.
'What's exciting about Daylesford is that it is such a place that everyone wants to get into, because the Airbnb business up there is huge,' he said.
'Plus, there are a lot of big players in town with a lot of money, and we're already hearing they're looking and very interested in buying one or two.
'So I don't think they'll get passed in, and I think we'll still see some good prices at auction.'
The 2025 Block homes are expansive, with an estimated $3 million-plus price, which is costly for the Daylesford market.
According to PropTrack data, the median house price in the town is $819,000, an eight per cent decrease in the year to July.
Buyers advocate and The Block regular Frank Valentic cast doubt over the success of the auctions without Portelli and major bidder Danny Wallace.
'I don't think there'll be many owner/occupiers buying this series, because it is well above Daylesford's median house price,' Mr Valentic told realestate.com.au.
'If these are going to be at circa $2 million or even $3 million-plus, I don't know if they'll get that far without the Danny Wallace and Adrian Portelli factor.'
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