It was a brutal finish for the other teams, particularly Rick and Tayla, whose backyard had plenty of promise but not enough completed deck to survive hero week.

One Week, Five Giant Backyards

Foreman Dan was already warning that the judges might need to abseil into Rick and Tayla’s pool area when he saw how much deck House 5 still had to finish. The pressure briefly eased when Alisa and Lysandra took the Blockheads out for lunch, only for Scotty to spring an archery challenge on them.

Rick and Tayla won $10,000 cash and a $10,000 safe, a welcome result with budgets running thin. By Sunday morning, though, rain had arrived and the teams were racing to finish and style outdoor spaces in conditions that could not have been less helpful.

At tools down, several decks were incomplete. Lisa and Rosco still collected the budget award, while Scotty added another safe containing a $15,000 Rolex to the Plungie prize pool.

Adam And Jolene Deliver The Full Package

House 1 was one of the few teams with a completed space, and the judges immediately liked the sauna and the way the terrace flowed from the rumpus. Shaynna Blaze thought the furniture was too cluttered, but the outdoor kitchen changed the mood fast.

The Dekton kitchen came with a barbecue and pizza oven, while Darren Palmer said the combination of a big pool, north-facing position and serious entertaining area sold the lifestyle. Marty Fox thought the level of amenity was more like something buyers would expect in a $10 million home.

Good Ideas, Awkward Details And An Unfinished Deck

Chantel and Wyatt earned praise for their textured pool area and a terrace kitchenette that fixed the missing kitchen in their rumpus. Darren liked the luxury feel despite their tight budget, but Shaynna took issue with the plants, public-pool-style bench, towels and flamingo. Marty had a simpler concern: there was no barbecue.

Lisa and Rosco’s dark pool gave House 3 a point of difference, but the judges were unconvinced by the high terrace table, the smoker beside the sliding door and the awkward pool fence walkway. With stairs, day beds and lighting still missing, their reaction only got sharper. Shaynna called the fence issue a non-negotiable fix, while Darren felt they had not made the most of their enormous backyard.

Courtney and Sev’s enormous deck was not fully finished either, but it still landed. Their barbecue and dining area impressed Marty, who said it hit the 'Goldilocks zone', while the curved pool fence and view delivered the biggest wow factor. Shaynna disliked the high bar table and the floor grates, but thought the unfinished space could have been a knockout.

Rick and Tayla had a beautiful stone palette, native planting, a huge television, good lighting and an olive tree growing through the deck. The catch was impossible to ignore: their deck was unfinished, leaving the seating jammed together instead of showing off one of the year’s best backyards.

The Gnome Changes Everything

After Darren and Marty’s scores, Courtney and Sev were leading Adam and Jolene by 0.25 points. Adam and Jolene then played the secret gnome they won through the Domain Buyers Jury, and the extra point was enough to leapfrog House 4.

Adam and Jolene finished on 29, ahead of Courtney and Sev on 28.25. Chantel and Wyatt scored 25.5, Lisa and Rosco landed on 22, and Rick and Tayla finished with 21.5. Jolene’s cheeky question about whether the girls would be 'salty' was the final little twist of the knife.

The Block continues tonight at 7.30pm on Nine and 9Now.