www.domain.com.au
Open in
urlscan Pro
184.27.41.27
Public Scan
Submitted URL: https://l.e.domain.com.au/ls/click?upn=2Y7HKExGZxavRHcyfYL29-2FGm5kMIOrSG3J-2FrAZJxmuS-2FpAmMkHoJM5Qsweh0xVqyFhqAR-2FmfSlu...
Effective URL: https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-5-biggest-shocks-of-the-block-2023-auctions-1246748/?lid=lg4cmb52afiu&utm_source=domain...
Submission: On December 10 via api from CA — Scanned from AU
Effective URL: https://www.domain.com.au/news/the-5-biggest-shocks-of-the-block-2023-auctions-1246748/?lid=lg4cmb52afiu&utm_source=domain...
Submission: On December 10 via api from CA — Scanned from AU
Form analysis 1 forms found in the DOM
<form>
<div class="css-1nczr3z"><input type="text" placeholder="Email"></div><button type="submit" class="css-2zxxvd">Become a member</button>
</form>Text Content
Skip to content.Contact Support 1300 799 109
Allhomes Commercial Real Estate
Navigation
Log inAccount
Log in
* Find a Property
* Research
* Find Agents
* For Owners
* Home Loans
* News
* Commercial
* Home
* News
* National
* The 5 biggest shocks of The Block 2023 auctions
* Find a Property
* Buy
* Rent
* House & Land
* New Homes
* Rural
* Share
* Search by school
* Research
Property Market Insights
* Property Price Estimates
* Suburb Profiles
* Property Market Analysis
* Auction Results
* Sold Properties
* Find Affordable Suburbs
Guides
* Advice
* Buying
* Investing
* Renting
* Find Agents
* For Owners
* My Properties
* Sell
* Home Loans
* Refinance Online
* Explore Home Loans
* Repayment Calculator
* Stamp Duty Calculator
* Refinance Savings Calculator
* Equity Calculator
* Borrowing Power Calculator
* Fixed Rate Expiry Calculator
* News
* Property News
* Money & Markets
* Living
* Domain Review
* Commercial
By Ellen Lutton
November 5, 2023
FacebookTwitterPinterestCopy link
An ambulance on set for a medical emergency. A history-making result. And that
was all just in the first auction. Photo: Nine
THE 5 BIGGEST SHOCKS OF THE BLOCK 2023 AUCTIONS
By Ellen Lutton
November 5, 2023
FacebookTwitterPinterestCopy link
Season 19 has been a spicy one. A couple of plot twists early in the season
quickly paled into insignificance, completely outstripped and overtaken by the
chaos and drama of the contestants.
These auctions were never going to be benign.
Sitting through an auction is usually a very nerve-racking experience for most,
but The Block 2023 Hampton East auctions? We’ve got whiplash.
STEPH AND GIAN’S ENTIRE AUCTION
Steph and Gian were fan favourites, but their winning result remained a
bombshell. Photo: Nine
Fan favourites Steph and Gian came out as clear winners on auction day but
watching the event unfold was absolutely wild.
The speed of it was breakneck. Within milliseconds of the auction starting,
Danny Wallis jumped in with a bid of $3,999,999.99, and auctioneer Tom Panos
declared the property was on the market. In the first bid, Steph and Gian made a
$649,999.99 profit.
20 Charming Street, Hampton East VIC 3188
5 Beds4 Baths3 Parking
View listing
Before everyone has even had a chance to stop gasping in disbelief, Panos called
the property once, twice – and then buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic put in a bid
of $4 million.
Cue more gasping until someone in the crowd yelled out, “Stop, there’s something
wrong,” and the cameras panned to one of the bidders, who had collapsed.
The auction paused as Dave “Hughsey” Hughes and other bidders rushed to the
woman’s aid. Producers called 000 and the crowd was cleared from the deck.
Related articles
* The Block: All the houses that failed to sell on auction night
* The Block’s best houses: A look back at Domain’s favourites over the past 20
years
* The rooms you might have missed on The Block 2023 – including those never
seen on TV
An ambulance arrived and a medical team attended to the woman – who intended on
buying one of the houses – and the auction remained stalled until she was
eventually well enough to be walked out.
What goes into selling a property on The Block?
How do agents deal with the pressure of Australia's most talked about property
sale of the year?
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
PauseNext playlist item
Unmute
Current Time 0:03
/
Duration 0:15
Loaded: 100.00%
0:03
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE
Remaining Time -0:12
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
* Chapters
Descriptions
* descriptions off, selected
Subtitles
* subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
* subtitles off, selected
Audio Track
* en (Main), selected
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque
Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge
StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional
Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall
Caps
Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Close Modal Dialog
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or
activating the close button.
1.
Fans reflect on 20 years of The Block
The Block fans lined up in droves to inspect the Charming Street properties.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
PauseNext playlist item
Unmute
Current Time 0:03
/
Duration 0:15
Loaded: 100.00%
0:03
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE
Remaining Time -0:12
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
* Chapters
Descriptions
* descriptions off, selected
Subtitles
* subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
* subtitles off, selected
Audio Track
* en (Main), selected
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque
Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge
StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional
Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall
Caps
Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Close Modal Dialog
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or
activating the close button.
1.
Splurge or Save: Brett and Kirsty's work from home room
The Block's Brett and Kirsty on where they splurged and saved when creating
their comfy home office.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
PauseNext playlist item
Unmute
Current Time 0:03
/
Duration 0:15
Loaded: 100.00%
0:03
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind liveLIVE
Remaining Time -0:12
1x
Playback Rate
Chapters
* Chapters
Descriptions
* descriptions off, selected
Subtitles
* subtitles settings, opens subtitles settings dialog
* subtitles off, selected
Audio Track
* en (Main), selected
Fullscreen
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque
Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge
StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional
Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall
Caps
Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Close Modal Dialog
This is a modal window. This modal can be closed by pressing the Escape key or
activating the close button.
1.
When the auction crowd returned, they were hushed and looked slightly
shell-shocked. The $4 million bid was with Frank Valentic. The auction was
called once, twice, and the final call was made.
GET THE BEST PROPERTY NEWS AND ADVICE DELIVERED STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.
Become a member
Check out our Privacy policy.
Then: “$5 million”.
Adrian Portelli – a prominent investor known as “Mr Lambo” and a serial Block
bidder – had raised the bidding by a crushing $1 million in one fell swoop.
There was more gasping from the crowd, jaws on the floor from contestants, and
tears and laughter from Steph and Gian.
The auction was done and dusted in three bids. Sold, for $5 million, to Adrian
Portelli. Steph and Gian had made the biggest profit in 20 years of The Block
– $1.65 million.
ADRIAN PORTELLI BIDDING AGAINST HIMSELF
Adrian Portelli made three of the four bids at Eliza and Liberty's auction.
Photo: Nine
Serial Block bidder Adrian Portelli wasn’t taking any chances this year. There
were some houses he wanted – at what appeared to be any cost – and luckily for
Eliza and Liberty, their House 5 was on his hit list.
His first bid of $4.1 million came swiftly after Danny Wallis’ opening bid of
$3,099,999.99.
It chalked up an immediate (and massive) profit of $850,000 for Eliza and
Liberty.
22 Charming Street, Hampton East VIC 3188
5 Beds4 Baths3 Parking
View listing
But why stop bidding if you’re having fun? Portelli bizarrely bid against
himself, unprompted, raising the price by a whopping $100,000 to $4.2 million.
The others were done; Frank Valentic said he was out and Danny Wallis said, “He
can have it,” but Portelli bid against himself again, calling out $4.3 million.
Auctioneer Nick Renna of Jellis Craig laughed and said to the crowd: “This is
the strangest auction I’ve ever done in years.”
That’s an achievement in itself.
The hammer fell and the property sold for $4.3 million after only four bids –
three of which were made by Adrian Portelli, and two of which were made against
…. himself.
DANNY GOES HOME EMPTY-HANDED AND SEETHING
Serial Block bidder Danny Wallis left empty-handed. Photo: Nine
Melbourne philanthropist Danny Wallis made his first appearance on The Block in
2012, buying Mike and Andrew South’s house in his signature bidding style for
$1,400,001.01, and since then he’s been a standard fixture on auction day.
He’s forked out millions of dollars on The Block properties over the years, and
the properties he buys are often rented out or used for charitable purposes.
Last year he handed Omar and Oz a history-making profit when he bought their
Gisborne home for $5,666,666.66 – a whopping $1,586,666.66 over the property’s
reserve of $4.08 million.
But this year he couldn’t catch a break. He was completely outbid by Adrian
Portelli in House 4 and 5 and then he made just one single bid for House 3.
He opened the bidding for Kyle and Leslie‘s House 1 but before he could even
finish reading his bid aloud he was cut off by Adrian Portelli who outbid him
(again).
He countered with a second bid, but was again swiftly outbid by Portelli, who
looked on a mission to secure his third property of the day.
Looking frustrated by this point, Wallis refused to participate in the auction
again and didn’t make a single bid for Leah and Ash’s House 4.
14 Charming Street, Hampton East VIC 3188
4 Beds3 Baths2 Parking
View listing
He remarked to reporters on his way out that House 4 and 5 sold for “too much”
and when asked why he didn’t push harder to win Houses 1, 2 or 3, he told
Domain: “They’re junk.”
His sister, who’s stood next to him at every Block auction, wrangling his dog,
added: “[They’re] high maintenance for investment properties, which is what we
have to consider.”
Maybe next year.
HOUSE 3’S SHOCK $65,000 PROFIT
The Block 2023: Kristy and Brett were left devastated by their result. Photo:
Nine
After the huge numbers that were shelled out for House 4 and 5, all eyes were on
Brett and Kristy as they walked in to watch their auction unfold. Expectations
were high and the literal million-dollar question was: Can this momentum be
sustained?
But it was different from the very first bid. Danny Wallis did not open with a
$3 million-plus figure. The first bid was $2.75 million – $220,000 shy of the
$2.97 million reserve.
18 Charming Street, Hampton East VIC 3188
5 Beds4 Baths2 Parking
View listing
It turned out to be a two-horse race between buyer’s agent Frank Valentic and
buyer’s advocate Marty Fox snr of White Fox Real Estate. What played out was far
more like a normal auction experience – the pair duked it out in small(er)
increments, then it stalled, then started again, then stalled, then started
again. It was by far the longest and most tense of the auctions.
The hammer fell at $3.035 million, netting Kristy and Brett a profit of just
$65,000.
Kristy later blamed her agent for the tepid auction, telling reporters he had
“shit the bed” and changed strategy.
“He pretty much revealed what our reserve was to the auction [crowd],” she said.
What her agent, Sam Inan of Belle St Kilda, had, in fact, revealed was that
house was on the market – but only after Fox bid $2.97 million and Valentic then
asked, “Are we on the market?”
Inan told Domain afterwards that his hands were tied.
“With Consumer Affairs [Victoria] in attendance it’s very hard not to answer
truthfully,” he said. “You can sometimes say, ‘Look I’ll answer you when I’m
ready.’ But the reality is, with Consumer Affairs there – and they’re knowing
what the paperwork says – it’s very, very hard to do anything but tell the
truth.
“They actually followed me around during the break and said, ‘You’d better make
sure you reiterate that it’s on the market – I don’t think everyone heard you.’
”
He said the disappointing results for Houses 1, 2 and 3 were not a direct
consequence of his calling House 3 on the market.
“When I spoke to some of the buyers that didn’t bid on our properties they said
they didn’t see the value in our homes, full stop,” he said.
“It had nothing to do with whether they were cheap or affordable on the day.
They just didn’t like them.”
LEAH AND ASH HAVE YET TO SELL THEIR HOUSE
The Block 2023: Leah & Ash's property failed to sell on auction day. Photo:
Nine
The Brisbane couple from House 2 are serial renovators but their house-flipping
experience wasn’t enough to get them over the line on auction day.
Their auction was short and sharp – it stalled after one single opening bid of
$2.9 million.
16 Charming Street, Hampton East VIC 3188
5 Beds4 Baths2 Parking
View listing
Their agents, Halli Moore and Noel Susay of Buxton Hampton East, took a break to
confer with the couple, who decided to pass the property in.
They told Domain afterwards they had seen how the previous two auctions played
out and, given they were still $70,000 short of their $2.97 million reserve,
couldn’t risk the house selling without netting them any profit at all.
“As soon as we saw that there was a $2.9 [million] bid out, it felt really slow.
You can see it in Danny’s face and you can also see it in Adrian’s face when
they lose complete interest. And I sort of straight away knew,” Leah said.
Their sole bidder, Frank Valentic, had first rights to negotiate with them after
the auction passed in. No deal had been inked as of Sunday.
AuctionsHouse PricesThe BlockThe Block Contestants
FacebookTwitterPinterestCopy link
WE RECOMMEND
RAIL, HAIL OR SHINE, THIS IS THE ONE PROPERTY FEATURE MOST BUYERS SEARCHED FOR
THIS YEAR
RELIEF FOR HOME OWNERS AS RBA HOLDS OFFICIAL CASH RATE AGAIN AT 4.1 PER CENT
THREE UNIQUE VIEWS FROM ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS BEACHES
TRILOGY $700M FUND RACES TO RESTART WORK ON GOSFORD APARTMENT PROJECT
CPE CAPITAL GETS INTO THE FIT-OUTS BUSINESS WITH MODUS PROJECTS
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
BUYER TO DINE IN THE 'UNDERWATER LIVING ROOM' AT $2.49 MILLION ADELAIDE HOME FOR
SALE
IS THE IDEAL HOME ONE THAT ENCOURAGES STAYING IN AND GOING OUT IN EQUAL MEASURE?
'MORE GROWTH GOING FORWARD': WHY NOW IS THE RIGHT TIME TO INVEST REGIONALLY
FAR FROM A TRADITIONAL OFFICE: WHY BUSINESSES ARE EMBRACING WORKSPACE
REINVENTION
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and
doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs.
© Domain Holdings Australia.
* Help
* Contact
* About
* Careers
* Mobile
* Privacy Policy
* Go to the Top
* Domain Marketing Hub
* Agent admin
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
EXPAND DIRECTORY
* STATES
* NSW
* Victoria
* Queensland
* Western Australia
* South Australia
* Tasmania
* ACT
* Northern Territory
* CAPITAL CITIES
* Sydney real estate
* Melbourne real estate
* Brisbane real estate
* Perth real estate
* Adelaide real estate
* Hobart real estate
* Canberra real estate
* Darwin real estate
* CAPITAL CITIES - RENTALS
* Sydney rental properties
* Melbourne rental properties
* Brisbane rental properties
* Perth rental properties
* Adelaide rental properties
* Hobart rental properties
* Canberra rental properties
* Darwin rental properties
* POPULAR AREAS
* Eastern Suburbs Sydney
* Inner West Sydney
* Lower North Shore
* East Melbourne
* Bayside Melbourne
* Sydney City
* Inner City Melbourne
* Upper North Shore
* DOMAIN
* Home Price Guide
* Auction Results
* Suburb Profiles
* Privacy policy
* Financial Services Guide
* Domain Group Terms and Conditions
* Tracking & targeting policy
* Supplier Code of Conduct
* Domain Group API
* OUR NETWORK
* Sydney Morning Herald
* The Age
* Brisbane Times
* WA Today
* Canberra Times
* Domain Digital Editions
* Drive
* Nine
* 9Now
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and
Terms of Service apply.
Commercial Real Estate
* Commercial Property
* Business for Sale
* Commercial Property News
* Commercial Real Estate Agent search
*
Domain Home Loans
* Facebook
* Instagram
* Pinterest
* Youtube
* Tiktok