'Most competitive': The Block 2025 has one major twist that's set to make the hit series one of the closest races in history
Channel Nine's hit renovation show will return to screens at 7:30 pm on July 27, with a fresh round of Blockheads this year building homes from scratch, rather than renovating them, in the Victorian town of Daylesford.
Blockheads Emma and Ben, Can and Han, Robby and Matt, Alicia and Sonny, and Brit and Taz will arrive in Daylesford to find only the frames of their homes are completed, bearing the responsibility to finish the rest.
The challenge is no small feat to conquer, as each block has a land size of 2,300 square metres, with homes measuring 346 square metres.
As well as building from the ground up, the Blockheads will no longer be allowed to work on their properties overnight, Domain reported.
In past seasons, host Scotty Cam yelled "tools down" at 4 am, marking the end of the contestants' frantic scrambling to finish the day's job.
Now, the building site will be locked each night, forcing the contestants to utilise their time management skills to complete their renovations on time.
The Blockheads, after tools down, will also unwind from the day in self-contained onsite caravans rather than inside their uncompleted homes.
Executive producer Julian Cress said the change was introduced with the teams' wellbeing in mind.
'It's been great for the contestants' general wellbeing just to be able to switch off and be with their neighbours at the end of a long day,' he said.
Cress said the contestants, some of who finally made it on the show after applying for seven years in a row, pull out all the stops to produce quality homes, setting the scene for some stiff competition.
'I think that we've chosen some of the most competitive and talented contestants we've ever had, and the quality of the rooms they're producing is going to get Block fans very excited,' he said.
The 2025 Block site is situated in one of Hygge Property's new housing developments, Middleton Field, located near the heart of Daylesford.
The locations mean the completed Block renovations will be the first five homes drivers see when they arrive in the town.
The new season could be branded a sequel to Tree Change in 2022 after photos of the newly-completed homes show similarities to the past series.
The couple who wins the highest price at auction receives a grand prize of $100,000 plus the amount their home sells above the reserve.
The Block has continuously built a strong lead in the prime-time TV ratings, surging ahead of Seven's My Kitchen Rules and The Voice.
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