The Block Truths: Top Tips From Past Contestants For Your Renovation
The Block Truths: Top Tips From Past Contestants For Your Renovation
The Block 2020 is right around the corner, and when it comes to transforming an entire home in a short time frame, there’s no one better to speak to than former Blockheads.
In 2019, we saw five enthusiastic couples take on the mammoth task of transforming The Oslo hotel in St Kilda, Victoria into five extraordinary homes in only 14 weeks. With all couples profiting well over $300k on each of their properties, it’s no surprise that each renovation was deemed a huge success.
We sat down with some of last year’s contestants to find out the truths to achieving not just a The Block winning bathroom and home, but a successful renovation overall.
Advice for any renovator
There’s no denying that building a The Block home is a unique experience, but there were some key tips that the contestants learned along their journey to pass on to any kind of renovator.
For Deb and Andy, their number one learning was to prioritise planning before everything else. “When building a bathroom, it is crucial to have everything planned well… I do feel it would have been less stressful if Andy and I were better planners.”
When it came to planning their bathroom, Jesse and Mel’s top tip is to ensure to plan not just for beauty, but also for practicality. “Remember, you are designing this bathroom for someone to use every day, not for a photo shoot!”
Success in the showroom
A trip to a showroom is an important step for any renovation and knowing how to come prepared and what to bring to each visit is vital to an efficient process.
With only one week to complete each room, The Block contestants quickly learnt the importance of making the most of each showroom visit to get the best result possible.
For Mitch and Mark, their advice was understanding what you’re working with prior to heading into store. “Knowing how much space you have to work with will reduce the choices you have, which is a good thing because it can be overwhelming” said the boys.
It’s also important to remember than expert advice is available if you look in the right places. “There are things you just won’t know about, but the team in the showroom will help with that”, added Deb and Andy.
When it comes to the nitty gritty product specifics, there’s no better person to speak to than a showroom consultant who can provide all the info you need. Book a free virtual showroom appointment today.
Knowing the user or the market
For The Block contestants, they certainly got to enjoy the spaces for a short time, but their main objective was to deliver a home that appealed to a variety of buyers for the best result possible at auction.
When it came to creating a bathroom for another user, it was important for the contestants to stay focused on the task at hand and not let their personal taste sway vital decisions. “You’ve always got to remember that your personal taste is not always to brief, so you mustn’t get confused or off track” said Elise and Matt.
For Mitch and Mark, their plan was to allow the future users personalise the spaces themselves with their own styling. “Create rooms that are luxurious and easy to change up by changing styling elements… The towels and accessories can create colour and individual personality.”
Avoid the stress points
It can be difficult to avoid bumps in the road or stressful moments in a renovation, but knowing common problems that occur can drastically assist in the success of your project.
For Deb and Andy, unlocking the potential of their layout was the trickiest step to their renovation, particularly because they were working with a space that didn’t yet exist.
To achieve their successful bathrooms, working with tools like our 3D Planner helped profusely, saying “being able to see the layout drawn up in the showroom was so incredibly helpful.”
And for Jesse and Mel, they avoided problems from the get-go with thorough planning and a strict brief. “We didn’t have much stress with our bathrooms, we had a very clear idea of what we wanted to begin with and we stayed true to our style.”
Planning and a strong idea of what you want to achieve as a result really does make all the difference.
Don’t forget to tune in to see this year’s The Block start on 23rd August on Channel 9.