The Block property splurge: $70 million in seven years

CHANNEL 9’s $25 million recent Melbourne TV property splurge is moving into its next stage with its mega Elsternwick plot now populated with recycled houses.

Houses on The Block site for the upcoming series in Elsternwick. Picture: Fiona Byrne

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CHANNEL 9’s $25 million recent Melbourne TV property splurge is moving into its next stage with its mega Elsternwick plot now populated with recycled houses.

The Elsternwick development comes as an investigation has revealed that The Block has poured an estimated figure of almost $70 million into the Melbourne property market buying sites since 2011.

The production has invested huge amounts buying, through different companies, rundown houses, buildings and hotels in suburbs such as South Yarra, Windsor, Albert Park, Port Melbourne, South Melbourne and Richmond, and turning them into highly desirable luxury abodes as part of a reality TV makeover.

The Block’s Scott Cam and Shelley Craft.

Houses on the new site for The Block in Elsternwick. Picture: Fiona Byrne

Outlays since 2011 have included $3.6 million for four houses in Richmond; $3.025 million for four terrace houses in South Melbourne; $6.71 million for a hotel near Park St, South Melbourne, that was renovated in 2013; $5.9 million for a warehouse in Albert Park used for the 2014 series; $8.25 million for an office block in Windsor; $6.25 million for the former Hotel Saville site in South Yarra; $5.7 million for an apartment block in Darling St, South Yarra; and $5.025 million for a derelict soap factory in Port Melbourne that was renovated last year.

In December last year a Channel 9 company, Micjoy, purchased vacant land in Elsternwick for $9.6 million which is the location for this year’s series.

Filming will officially start at the location on April 27.

Meanwhile the same company bought the dumpy St Kilda flophouse The Gatwick Private Hotel last month for a rumoured $15 million. It will be the base for the show’s 2018 series.

Houses on the new site for The Block in Elsternwick. Picture: Fiona Byrne

The Block Glasshouse is believed to have cost The Block production $8.25 million to purchase. Picture: Janine Eastgate.

Brothers Simon and Shannon were the winners on The Glasshouse, one of the most expensive properties in the productions portfolio of purchases.

There is little change from this most recent splurge from $25 million.

Meanwhile a fifth and final home was moved on to the Regent St site in Elsternwick on Friday, putting in place the properties that will be made over as part of this year’s series.

The houses, in various starts of disrepair, resembled a row of brittle, damaged ghost homes yesterday, with several still to be knitted together after being split in half in order to be transported to the site.

Other are yet to have their roof properly reattached following the relocation.

Channel 9 would not confirm the prices paid for the Elsternwick and St Kilda properties when contacted.

The Block will again be hosted by Scott Cam and Shelley Craft.