While the teams tackled a mussel-cooking challenge, Courtney and Sev learned that their newly installed bathroom tiles would have to be pulled down. The pair had tried to line up the grout lines in their wall and floor tiles, but the different tile sizes had left some gaps too wide for the site team.

A Costly Call for House 4

For Courtney, who knows a thing or two about site management herself, the issue was not just the grout. It was being left out of the decision while she and Sev were away. Their revised layout also risked putting grout lines in exactly the awkward spots they had worked to avoid around the vanity mixer and toilet button.

Scott Cam and Shelley Craft later explained that the gaps had gone beyond the 3mm maximum the pair had expected. GMac and Aidan then made the practical case for acting quickly: once the adhesive set, removing the tiles could have done far more damage.

It was an explanation, but not quite a magic eraser for the communication mess. The peace offering that finally settled everyone down was Aidan covering a day of the tiler's work. By the end of the day, Sev and GMac were hugging it out, which is probably more emotional growth than anyone expected from a grout dispute.

Chantel and Wyatt Hit Their Limit

House 2 had its own dramatic detour. Chantel's Venetian plaster arrived in a colour she absolutely did not order, before the team managed to get it corrected and move their guest suite back towards her quiet-luxury vision.

The bigger problem came when Wyatt drove through the rain to collect a display bedhead, only to find it was neither boxed nor wrapped for the weather. The phone call home went sideways, Chantel told him he was being rude, and Wyatt promptly drove off site to cool down.

Scott and Shelley arrived just in time to clock the exit. Chantel played it down as Wyatt needing a moment, but the tension was hard to miss. At least the room itself was back on track after the paint disaster.

A Much-Needed Win for Adam and Jolene

Adam and Jolene had a different kind of stomach-drop moment. After overspending by $20,000, the previous week's winners had to send one of their carpenters home because they could no longer afford the help. It was a brutal reality check in a week with a $30,000 budget.

Then came the mussels. The farmers entered the cooking challenge having never cooked or even eaten one, but somehow walked away with the $10,000 cash prize, the Bonus Point Gnome and a Speediance gym station. When the budget is looking that grim, a seafood challenge win is practically a rescue boat.

Elsewhere, Tayla kept going with Spence while Rick was away, with twin sister Shannen joining the action. Lisa and Rosco stuck to a calmer guest-suite plan with a study nook, timber vanity and travertine tiles, although Scott and Shelley reminded them that plenty of major spaces were still waiting in the wings.

The Block continues Sunday at 7pm on Nine and 9Now.