Rick and Tayla finally put a finished room in front of the judges, then used their Bonus Point Gnome to turn a razor-thin race into their first room-reveal win. After a rough earlier bathroom week, it was a very satisfying change of pace for House 5.

The Tilers Become The Week’s Biggest Bargaining Chip

House 1 started the day in genuine trouble. Adam and Jolene had sacked their tiler, their main ensuite was still unfinished and the mood was low enough that they initially did not even turn up to site.

Then the Cursio Brothers suddenly had a little spare time after finishing at House 2. Adam struck a deal with Wyatt: House 1 could borrow the tilers and, if Adam and Jolene won the $10,000 room prize, House 2 would receive half.

Wyatt agreed, but the arrangement came with a whiteboard tally and a close eye on the clock. It was a practical rescue mission, and it got Adam and Jolene far closer than they had any right to be after the morning they had.

Their ensuite still did not make it over the finish line, but the judges could see the appeal in it. The layout, twin green basins, skylight and view gave the room a strong sense of occasion, even if the lighting needed softening and the missing finishing work kept it out of the winner’s conversation.

Two Finished Rooms, Two Very Different Problems

Chantel and Wyatt had the opposite kind of week. Their light, polished ensuite was complete early, with champagne-toned fittings, ceramic basins and the sort of tidy execution that makes a room reveal look deceptively easy.

The judges liked the market-ready finish, but questioned whether the double vanity mirrors should have concealed storage and whether the room needed a little more personality. It was the old Block dilemma: safe and sellable, or memorable enough to stand out.

Lisa and Rosco were also left wishing they had more time. Their timber vanity and generous storage won approval, but their faux crazy-paving shower floor did not. The judges felt the room had too many competing ideas, and the unfinished state made an already difficult judging visit even harder.

Courtney And Sev’s Shower Seat Divides The Room

Courtney and Sev delivered the week’s most divisive feature, a large tiled seat in the shower. Their micro-cement walls and Taj Mahal tiles gave the ensuite plenty of texture and polish, and the judges thought it would photograph beautifully.

But the bench took up a serious amount of space. Instead of reading as a luxurious addition, it made the shower feel less practical. The room had visual impact in spades, but the feature that was meant to make it special became the part everyone was debating.

That was not the only concern for House 4. The judges also flagged the couple’s spending, with the competition still having a long way to run. A beautiful room is useful. A beautiful room that empties the budget is a much trickier proposition.

Rick And Tayla Finally Finish

For Rick and Tayla, simply finishing mattered. Rick had been determined not to repeat the disappointment of an earlier unfinished bathroom, while Tayla was frustrated when her offer to help paint was knocked back.

Once judging began, though, their room had plenty going for it. The judges liked the stone-look tiles, skylights, storage, large shower and smart toilet, and saw real buyer appeal in the balanced palette. The main fault was the vanity, where the tapware sat too close to the basin and would need adjusting.

Still, it was their strongest room yet. The total proved it: Rick and Tayla landed on 25 points before the Bonus Point Gnome lifted them to 26, just half a point ahead of Chantel and Wyatt on 25.5. Courtney and Sev finished close behind on 25, while the two incomplete rooms filled out the bottom of the board.

Rick and Tayla took the $10,000 room prize, while Chantel and Wyatt still left with $10,000 after winning the CommBank budget estimate award. Not a bad night for a pair who had spent the week lending out tilers.

Next up, the Blockheads move onto the lounge, dining and alfresco spaces. That is a lot of square metres, a lot of decisions and, judging by this week, probably at least one more very questionable feature wall.

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