The Block 2023: Rivalry heats up as Danny Wallis and Adrian Portelli set to duke it out on new season
The Block super buyer Danny Wallis is gearing up for another property shopping spree, and has some advice for his new rival, Adrian “Lambo Guy” Portelli.
The Block super buyer Danny Wallis is gearing up for another shopping spree courtesy of the hit reality renovation show this year.
But after spending more than $35m buying nine homes on the show in past seasons, he doesn’t think he’ll have much competition, questioning if new rival Adrian “Lambo Guy” Portelli has done his dough, after the Queensland-based millionaire signed up for a $39m Melbourne apartment price record earlier this year.
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Mr Wallis has already had a look through the latest homes renovated for the show, which are currently being touched up ahead of The Block hitting the airwaves in August, and said he’d be back again “if the price is right”.
Despite claims from Mr Portelli that he would bid on “all of them” when the properties in Charming St, Hampton East, go under the hammer in November, his longstanding Melbourne rival isn’t worried.
“I wonder if Adrian will be able to bid against me,” Mr Wallis said.
The entrepreneur, who founded information communications technology services company DWS Limited, jovially added that a record-breaking $39m penthouse purchase in the Sapphire by the Gardens building in Melbourne’s CBD earlier this year would have to factor into his rival’s plans.
As would the costs of paying to have a McLaren racing car craned up into the property.
“I have F1 cars in my lounge room, but they are little model ones,” he said.
“I certainly wouldn’t have one like that in my lounge room.”
He added that he certainly wouldn’t be “raffling” a house off, as Mr Portelli famously did with his Gisborne purchase. But said he might look to connect the My Room Children’s Cancer Charity with an acquisition.
The millionaire has already offered charities a home bought from The Block in Brighton and another he snapped up from the show in Hampton.
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But with the two “always full” he said he might have a bit of motivation to buy another to help the charity and children facing cancer again.
He also is sceptical of other players entering the fray, with interest rate hikes likely to hurt the budgets of home buyers, and expected changes to land tax bills for investors in Victoria likely to impact the state’s appeal to those who might pay cash for the homes.
“It’s interesting times, and it will all affect the prices on The Block,” Mr Wallis said.
After raising a question mark over his competition, the millionaire had a warning for the show’s producers to think carefully about pricing.
“I’ve had a look and will probably have another look,” Mr Wallis said.
“It all depends on the price. But they are pretty good.”
Buyer’s advocate Nicole Jacobs’ former Hampton home was among those bought by the millionaire in the show’s Bronte Court season.
Ms Jacobs said with that home one of those now being used by My Room, The Block and those auctioning homes on it ignored Mr Wallis at their own peril.
“For everything we see on the TV, he is incredibly astute,” she said.
“And he does put his money where his mouth is.
“But the auctioneers have got to understand you can’t agitate him on auction day. If you treat him with disrespect he will stop bidding.”
Ms Jacobs went further, noting that rejecting one of his bids that goes into the cents was a move real estate agents would want to think very closely about this year.
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Originally published as The Block 2023: Rivalry heats up as Danny Wallis and Adrian Portelli set to duke it out on new season
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