(Photography: The Block/Channel 9/9 Now)
Just seven months after becoming one of the few success stories from The Block’s troubled Daylesford season, one home has returned to the market.
Sonny and Alicia’s home is back on the market
The property, at 2 Cedar Lane, Daylesford, sold under the hammer for $3.06 million during the 2025 finale, delivering the Queensland couple a profit of $120,000. It is now seeking $2.9 million to $3 million after the current owner decided to sell due to a change in personal circumstances.
But the relisting has reignited questions about The Block’s most controversial auction season in years and whether Daylesford was ever the right location for the show’s increasingly expensive homes.
The auction night that shocked fans
The 2025 season produced some of the weakest auction results seen on The Block in more than a decade.
Only three of the five homes sold on auction day.
- Britt and Taz: Sold for $3.41 million, profit $420,000 plus $100,000 winners bonus
- Sonny and Alicia: Sold for $3.06 million, profit $120,000
- Robby and Mat: Sold for $3.099 million, profit $109,999
- Emma and Ben: Passed in
- Han and Can: Failed to sell
The results left two teams walking away with nothing despite spending months renovating multimillion-dollar properties.
Who bought the three homes that actually sold?
One of the most interesting stories to emerge since auction night is what happened to the properties after the cameras stopped rolling.
Britt and Taz’s winning home
The winning property sold for $3.41 million to an anonymous buyer.
Months later, the home was transformed into a luxury short-stay accommodation offering rather than becoming a permanent residence, allowing fans to effectively book a stay in the winning Block house.
Sonny and Alicia’s family-friendly retreat
Sonny and Alicia’s home was purchased by buyer’s advocate Frank Valentic on behalf of an investor client for $3.06 million. The property has since operated as an investment asset and has now been relisted.
Robby and Mat’s house
The final successful sale went to serial Block buyer Danny Wallis, who paid $3,099,999.10 for the property. At the time of purchase, Wallis indicated he planned to rent the home rather than occupy it himself.
The common thread? None of the three homes appear to have been purchased by owner-occupiers looking to live in Daylesford full-time.
Was Daylesford simply too expensive?
The homes themselves were rarely the problem.
The issue was that The Block was asking buyers to pay more than $3 million for homes in a regional market where transactions at that level remain relatively uncommon.
And, Director & Licensed Agent Tom Shaw at BigginScott in Daylesford – who was involved in the sale campaign for House 4 (Sonny & Alicia’s property), agrees.
“I don’t think the problem was Daylesford. Daylesford remains one of regional Victoria’s most recognisable lifestyle destinations and continues to attract buyers seeking a tree change, weekend retreat or luxury country residence. Rather, I think the challenge was the price point. The Block creates extraordinary homes, but they are often delivered at values that exceed what local and regional markets have traditionally supported.”
Many property commentators argued the reserves were too ambitious for the local market and that bidders struggled to justify the prices despite the quality of the homes.
While Daylesford is one of Victoria’s most desirable lifestyle destinations, famous for its mineral springs, boutique accommodation, acclaimed restaurants and wellness culture, its traditional buyer pool is far smaller than the markets The Block has targeted in previous years.
“I think the biggest challenge was matching a national television audience’s expectations with the realities of a regional property market.”
TOM SHAW, DIRECTOR & LICENSED AGENT AT BIGGINSCOTT IN DAYLESFORD
What happened to the homes that didn’t sell?
The struggles did not end on auction night.
Emma and Ben’s and Han and Can’s properties both remained on the market after the finale and have since undergone price adjustments in an effort to attract buyers. Meanwhile, Sonny and Alicia’s relisting means three of the five Daylesford homes have now effectively returned to the market in some form.
The homes that never sold are now facing price cuts
While Sonny and Alicia’s relisting has sparked fresh interest in the Daylesford development, the two homes that failed to sell at auction are still searching for buyers.
Han and Can’s House 2 at 4 Cedar Lane has had its asking price revised to $2.9 million, placing it below the $2.99 million reserve set during The Block auction finale. Emma and Ben’s House 1 at 5 Cedar Lane remains listed with a $3 million to $3.3 million guide, although selling agents have indicated further reductions may be required.
Perhaps the most startling detail is that agents involved in the campaign revealed neither property had recorded a single inspection this year as the homes sat on the market.
The lack of buyer interest has reignited debate about whether The Block overestimated demand for $3 million-plus homes in a regional market where the median house price sits substantially lower. Critics argue the homes were never the problem. The pricing was.
Have The Block homes become investments rather than homes?
- Britt & Taz’s winning home became luxury accommodation.
- Sonny & Alicia’s was bought by an investor and is now being resold.
- Robby & Mat’s was purchased by Danny Wallis as an investment.
- The two unsold homes are still looking for buyers.
Nearly a year later, have any of The Block Daylesford homes actually become family homes?
The Danny Wallis question
No discussion about The Block auctions is complete without Danny Wallis.
The software entrepreneur has become one of the show’s most influential buyers, spending millions on contestant homes over the years and often rescuing auction nights that might otherwise have ended in disappointment.
But Wallis recently launched a blistering attack on the Federal Government’s proposed negative gearing and capital gains tax reforms, describing the budget as a “s**t show”. The proposed changes would restrict negative gearing on existing residential properties purchased after July 2027 and alter the way capital gains tax concessions are calculated.
The Block’s most prolific investor has revealed he’s more interested in buying the show’s ‘Bunnings’ shed.
So will he continue to buy The Block homes?
That is arguably the biggest question hanging over future seasons.
Wallis has traditionally treated many of his Block purchases as investments, often renting them out after acquisition. If tax settings become less attractive for investors, the economics behind paying premium prices for Block homes could change significantly.
Whether Wallis continues to participate at the same level remains unknown, but his recent public criticism suggests investors will be watching closely.
Why Mt Eliza could be a very different story
The Block’s move to Mt Eliza may solve many of the problems that emerged in Daylesford.
Unlike the regional Victorian spa town, Mt Eliza sits within the Mornington Peninsula’s established prestige property market, where multimillion-dollar homes are commonplace and buyer expectations already align with luxury new builds.
The suburb offers a deeper pool of affluent owner-occupiers, holiday-home buyers and investors than Daylesford.
A sentiment Tom Shaw echoed: “The Daylesford market has always had a ceiling, and whilst there is demand for luxury homes, the pool of buyers above $2 million in a regional town is naturally smaller than in metropolitan markets.”
For that reason alone, many property experts expect the 2026 auction results to look very different.
In fact, industry insiders believe the move to Mount Eliza is a strategic reset for the franchise, returning the show to a blue-chip coastal market known for prestige family homes and wealthy buyers.
But not everyone is convinced the design direction will suit the area. New aerial images of the builds have already sparked debate, with some property experts suggesting the homes feel denser and more “Melbourne townhouse” than the sprawling Peninsula estates buyers typically expect in Mount Eliza.
Others, however, say the show is deliberately evolving its aesthetic. Production insiders have reportedly described this year’s homes as warmer, moodier and more architectural than previous seasons, leaning into textured luxury rather than the bright coastal style often associated with the Peninsula.
The real legacy of The Block’s Daylesford season
Sonny and Alicia’s relisting is about more than one house returning to the market.
It serves as a reminder that The Block’s biggest challenge may no longer be renovation. It’s finding locations where multimillion-dollar television homes make sense in the real world.
And with Mt Eliza now waiting in the wings, the next auction finale could determine whether Daylesford was simply a one-off misstep, or a warning sign that the economics of The Block are changing.
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