The Block feels the squeeze in Melbourne property market
With suitable buildings harder to find, when will The Block head interstate?
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Work is underway at The Block‘s next home in Ingles Street, Port Melbourne to prepare it for its next batch of contestants.
Construction Assignments will spend more than a month repairing the art deco exterior and creating an internal structure.
The Fairfax article notes an eight-week renovation period with an August premiere and six apartments (that could suggest 5 couples, who all join forces for a final apartment challenge).
But producer Julian Cress, who has previously outlined a desire for distinctive properties, also said how difficult it was becoming to find suitable sites.
“We’re competing with every developer in town,” he said. “It’s getting almost impossible to find buildings like this.”
While Sydney has proven difficult to secure properties at the right price -as well as accommodating local councils- Melbourne has been home to the series since S4 in 2011. It also needs a property market that will drive big ticket auction prices.
With double seasons most years, there has been much comment that the show should spread its wings to interstate.
Last year the show missed out on a potential “beach” location on the Mornington Peninsula. The first two seasons of the show also made the most of their Bondi / Manly backdrops.
“It would be wonderful to take The Block out of the city and do a beach-house version of the show,” he told TV Tonight last year.
There’s always a site in Willoughby ripe for the reno….?
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3 Responses
Good on the Sydney councils for not kowtowing to The Block’s demands for freebies and concessions. They don’t have anything to gain from it, but would instead cop the headache from having this circus in their neighbourhood, pissing off their local ratepayers. I gave up on watching this a could of seasons back, but even so it would be better for them to take it somewhere else, just for a change of scene.
I saw some council planning papers online that said that there are going to be 7 apartments so I think there would be 6 couples and 1 apartment will be for a challenge. We should soon find out as taping starts very soon.
S. The luxury apartment market in Brisbane is going gangbusters so why don’t they come north.