The Block contestants won't make a cent after unsold Daylesford homes cop $300,000 price cuts

The two homes that failed to sell during The Block’s worst-performing season in a decade have quietly had their price guides slashed to $2.6 million – almost eight months after they were listed.

The neighbouring properties in Cedar Lane, Daylesford, finally copped a haircut of over $300,000 this week amid a rise in listings and dwindling buyer demand. It means the two Block contestants won’t make a cent from the experience.

Filming for this year’s season of The Block at Mount Eliza on the Mornington Peninsula has finished, but for the first time in the show’s history, there are still properties from last year’s season that remain unsold, despite recent price cuts.

The Channel 9 show has five competing couples spend about 12 weeks renovating or building luxury homes from scratch. Under the show’s standard arrangement, a reserve is set days before the auction, and contestants pocket any profits above the reserve. The original price guides last year were $3 million to $3.3 million. Just three out of five homes sold.

Han and Can’s house, at 4 Cedar Lane, and Emma and Ben’s house – at No. 5 – were both passed in at $3.1 million and listed for sale days later. Han and Can’s house carried a guide of $2.9 million; Emma and Ben’s had a guide of $3 million to $3.3 million.

Now, almost eight months on, the long-awaited price drop closely matches what agents said was fair market value at the time.

Three out of five homes from the 2025 season are now simultaneously on the market. The third is Sonny and Alicia Alpin’s “mid-century western” at 2 Cedar Lane, which sold under the hammer at the finale for $3.06 million, delivering the couple a $120,000 profit.

It was then relisted in late May with a price guide of $2.9 million to $3 million.

Aaron Hill, of Ray White Sunbury, is selling Emma and Ben’s home and said the price cut was a long time coming.

House 1 Emma and Ben

5 Cedar Lane, Daylesford VIC 3460

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He’s quietly gutted for Emma and Ben, but after chatting with the pair last week, he says they’ve accepted the market reality and don’t regret the experience.

“The hardest part is I had their home almost sold on the night [of the finale]. I had buyers and I could have sold it for $2.8 million. And everyone would have been happy,” he said.

“But the reserve was set too high.”

“And at the end of the day, my contestants aren’t going to make any money – they won’t make a cent.

“The one good thing is they are happy they had a good time. They loved every minute of it.

“Do they wish they got money? 100 per cent. But they are beautiful people who just loved the whole process.”

Hill said a rise in listings, combined with a drop in investor activity since the April federal budget, had made market conditions tougher than they were when the properties were listed.

“In Daylesford it’s very hard to sell right now. We’ve lost a lot of investors and that’s where we need to get a home buyer for this one,” he said.

“But the whole market has been pulled … I think a lot of buyers are holding off right now.”

Hill said the conditions were now prime for buyers looking to nab a deal.

“If you want to live in a beautiful luxury home this is probably one of the best times to buy a place for around $2.5 million. The other Block homes sold for over $3 million,” he said.

“And construction costs have gone up since then.”

In January, Daylesford had a median house price of $890,000. By the March quarter, Domain house price report data showed a 5.3 per cent annual drop to $800,000.

Will Walton from Belle Property Daylesford is selling Han and Can’s home and said the $300,000 reduction reflected broader market conditions.

$2,590,000

4 Cedar Lane, Daylesford VIC 3460

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“There are multiple price adjustments happening across Daylesford right now,” he said.

“But I think there will be considerably more interest now that we’ve dropped the price. We have a very discerning market and people who have been circling this home are more likely to jump at it.”

When asked whether having two other Block homes on the same street on the market had complicated the campaign, both agents were quick to say no. Each insisted their respective listings were the better ones.

They also both agreed that there’s never been a better time to buy.

“Daylesford is one of the region’s consistently highest performers on holiday home rent returns,” Walton said.

“What a lot of people realise is we don’t have a high or low season … and it’s well regarded here for the culinary scene. We have so many award-winning restaurants.”