Simon and Shannon Vos have been triumphant in taking out the ninth series of Channel Nine’s The Block: Glasshouse. The dramatic finale left Simon and Shannon on top after several couples were left just reaching their reserve.
Glasshouse saw the five couples converting a Prahran office block in east Melbourne into five luxury three-bedroom apartments in twelve weeks.
The finale episode got underway when the reserves of the couples were revealed, followed by Gold Logie winner, Scott Cam determining the order of the auction.
“The positioning can change your outcome, and your outcome is your life,” NSW’s Maxine Stokes said.
Prior to the auction, Darren and Dee’s agent, Russell Cambridge of Biggin & Scott, said the order of the auctions would likely determine the winner.
“There are many variables that don’t come in to play in real life,” he said. “At the end of the day, it is still a game and a reality show.”
With the highest points from the season, Michael and Carlene were allowed first choice and opted for their apartment to be auctioned last. Darren and Dee opted to go fourth in the auction, Simon and Shannon then decided to go second as per their real estate’s recommendation. Chris and Jenna were left to be the first cabs of the rank in The Block: Glasshouse auction.
A crowd of about 40 fans, onlookers and prospective bidders came together outside the High Street complex as the nervous contestants filmed their final minutes on camera and prepared for their homes to go under the hammer.
Chris and Jenna got the ball rolling, quickly nabbing their reserve of $1.5m. After a nail-biting pause the selling price climbed all the way to $1.810m, giving them a profit of $310,000 profit setting the bench mark for the remainder of the auction.
Up next, Simon and Shannon jumped to their reserve of $1.565m and landed on $1.9m. In the speedy auction, their profit was a healthy $335,000 and put the pair in the lead.
Maxine and Karstan, who got married just prior to the finale, managed to pocket a profit of $40,000 after a mostly silent auction. They reached $1.71m selling price from their $1.670m reserve, and were visibly shocked.
The NSW newlyweds were the judges’ favourites to take out the long-running renovation.
The show’s interior designer judges Shaynna Blaze and Darren Palmer had predicted the apartment of the couple would bring the highest selling price.
Blaze said the couple had “the biggest advantage in every way” coming into the auction.
Darren Palmer had said, “If you can pick the winner of this auction you deserve all the money that you get because the odds have to be all over the place.”
Darren and Deanne and team Michael and Carlene were both left left shattered after their $1.37m and $1.71m reserves respectively, were only met with a profit of $10,000 each.
Neale Whitaker, the former editor of Belle magazine, had tipped Michael and Carlene, who have a southerly aspect but the second largest terrace on The Block.
The Block started in Bondi 11 years ago, with renovations following in Manly and Vaucluse, before the production shifted to more affordable Melbourne.
Contestants collect the money paid above the reserve and Simon and Shannon also receive an extra $100,000, taking their total winnings to $435,000.
Congratulations Simon and Shannon!
image credit: Simon and Shannon The Block Glasshouse via Channel 10