The Block 2020: Who would win if it was based on the judges' points?

Season 16 of The Block has been nothing short of dramatic.

In no other year have the contestants faced such a rollercoaster of emotions while, at the same time, trying to build a home in 12 short weeks.

As we know, the judges stroll through the Blockheads’ hard work each week, nitpicking and “loving” what they please but,  in the end, their feedback only counts for so much – it’s the auctions that decide the winner.

What may have been deemed a great design choice by the judges does not always fare as well with the buyers. In previous seasons we have seen the favourite team get let down under the hammer and a dark horse take the $100,000 prize.

But if the winner were decided based on the judges’ scores, here’s who’d take out The Block 2020.

How the couples would rank

Fifth place, House 1, Harry & Tash
Total points: 302

Our Melbourne locals were said to have the upper hand this season with their local knowledge of the bayside area, but they have had the highest of highs and the lowest of lows with the judges.

While they’ve ended up being pipped at the post a few times by half-points and gnomes, Harry and Tash started off the season quite well, winning with their huge master bedroom.

Their painting and colour pairings let them down during the series, and in the guest bathroom reveal their blue and coral bathroom was canned by the judges, who also cited some functionality flaws.

They were just half a point away from nabbing the master en suite week, but that was a close call for all couples.

It seemed they might be able to score the most important week of all – kitchen week – with glowing reviews from the judges. Shaynna even offered to use their enormous kitchen bench as a catwalk, but Daniel and Jade swiped the win off them by using their gnome.

It was not until living and dining week that Harry and Tash seemed to be back on top, grabbing their second win, but that was their last of the season. They ended up with no cash left to spare on their final four spaces and even got the lowest score of the season for their studio and garage.

With one of the biggest homes on The Block this year and larger living spaces than the others, buyers may be more forgiving of Harry and Tash than the judges were.

Fourth place, House 3, Daniel & Jade
Total points: 314

The only way to really describe how the judges perceived our farmers from SA for most of the season is a bit humdrum. They often did not passionately hate anything, but nor did they passionately love it.

This couple also did not win a room outright in any week. Their only win was kitchen week with their amazing Christian Cole kitchen bench and, without their gnome, they would have come in second place.

Regardless, it was quite a controversial room for the couple, with Daniel and Jade accusing Luke and Jasmin of ripping off their curved bench design and their agent even referring to it earlier as somewhat phallic in shape.

In guest bedroom week, it looked like Daniel and Jade were the ones to look out for, losing by only half a point to Jimmy and Tam.

After kitchen week it all sort of fizzled out for the couple, with the judges finding their spaces pleasant but not winners, and this landed them in the lower to middle range on the scoreboard.

All of the judges’ feedback for these guys may not matter, as they do have the most bedrooms on offer for future buyers, totalling six including the self-contained studio. This could attract a nice wealthy family with lots of kiddos and a moody teenager to move into the studio.

View The Block properties for sale

House 1, Harry and Tash: 364 New Street, Brighton

House 2, Sarah and George: 362B New Street, Brighton

House 3, Daniel and Jade: 362A New Street, Brighton

House 4, Luke and Jasmin: 360B New Street, Brighton

House 5, Jimmy and Tam: 360A New Street, Brighton

Third place, House 4, Luke & Jasmin
Total points: 320

This couple were not short of a scandal or two this season, but they stayed pretty consistent with the judges towards the end.

They were criticised for not staying true to the heritage of the home in the first few weeks, with Jasmin telling the camera point-blank she would not be changing her style. “Sorry, Shaynna.”

They ended up finding a good middle ground and impressed the judges with their clever use of curves, be that with stolen ideas from the ‘gram, fellow contestants or not.

The first perfect score of the season was awarded for the double-room week in the upstairs space. They also would have won the master en suite on their own if Jimmy and Tam hadn’t play their gnome point to tie the score. This had Jasmin furious, to say the least.

To make matters worse, Jimmy and Tam played another gnome to take laundry and hallway week off them, and there was a walk-out along with some tears.

They would have ended up with three wins for the season if it was not for those darn gnomes.

Second place, House 2, Sarah & George
Total points: 323.5

The undisputed underdogs of the series, this couple missed out on the Domain cover and the ability to choose the auction order by just half a point.

Sarah and George took nine whole weeks to score a win with the judges but ended the series with a hat-trick of victories. Given how they finished, it’s hard to believe their final three weeks on The Block were their only winning ones.

The judges repeatedly told them their colour palettes were bland. Their wallpaper choices were questioned. But this team quite literally crept up the leaderboard from scoring lowly in the first week.

Kitchen week had Darren hugging their curved marble bench, but he must not have loved it that much as they settled right in the middle at scoring time.

They tied with Jimmy and Tam for the best facade and front garden and then took out the win for garage and studio week.

Sarah and George then wrapped up the season with, as voted by the judges, the best backyard and pool. Their pizza oven was a hit as was the built-in dining table.

If Jimmy and Tam had had no gnome points to play the entire season, Sarah and George would have scored the most points and chosen the auction order.

First place, House 5, Jimmy & Tam
Total points: 324

The favourites right from the get-go, Jimmy and Tam had a trajectory to envy at the start of The Block 2020.

They took out the first three weeks of room reveals with the judges, winning them over with their bold colour choices and quirky style. But what the judges loved the most from them was their respect for the era of their 1950s home.

Master bedroom week was when we first saw the couple wobble, by moving their walk-in wardrobe and en suite on the floor plan. The judges were not happy.

Nor was Scotty, telling the team, “If I am doing a ‘Henry the third’ and my missus needs to get changed for work, she would have to go through the bathroom.”

They later flipped the plan, but this impacted on their lead.

They won twice by playing a gnome to give them five wins for the season. If Daniel and Jade had not played their gnome on kitchen week, Jimmy and Tam would have got their sixth win, meaning they would have won half of the room reveals.

Their flair and sometimes bold choices mostly seemed to score well, but their “Donald Trump of bathrooms” according to Shaynna, was a letdown, along with their “disaster” week of not including a dining table in living/dining room week.

But even with those setbacks, they rose to the top. So if it was up to the judges and the points they’d given, Jimmy and Tam should win The Block 2020.