The Block 2021: Unusual layout revealed for five houses in Bronte Court, Hampton

An unusual layout for next year’s season of reality renovation show The Block has been revealed, with producers behind the show swooping on five quite different houses in a suburban cul-de-sac.

Buyers’ advocate Nicole Jacobs sold her home in Bronte Court, Hampton, for $3,025,000, to corporate vehicle MicJoy Pty Ltd, title records show. Her next-door neighbours also sold, fetching $2 million.

MicJoy has slapped caveats on another two neighbouring houses farther along the same side of the street, but a solitary house in between the two pairs has no record of any interest by the television juggernaut.

On the opposite side of the road, just one house has a caveat from the company.

View The Block 2021 properties for sale

• House 1, Ronnie and Georgia: 2 Bronte Court, Hampton
• House 2, Mitch and Mark: 4 Bronte Court, Hampton
• House 3, Tanya and Vito: 8 Bronte Court, Hampton
• House 4, Josh and Luke: 10 Bronte Court, Hampton
• House 5, Kirsty and Jesse: 1 Bronte Court, Hampton

It’s an unusual layout for the show, which this year relocated five older-style houses from different eras to sit in a row on New Street, Brighton, and last year transformed former backpackers’ hostel The Oslo in St Kilda into five houses side by side.

But The Block executive producer Julian Cress said the layout would not matter.

“They are all in a cul-de-sac. The houses are pretty much as close to each other as they ever have been,” Mr Cress told Domain.

“I don’t think it really matters.”

Although he would not be drawn on how next year’s season would work, he said the homes would not be demolished.

“Most people who follow the program understand The Block is a renovation program, it’s not a demolition program,” he said.

“We are not in the business of demolishing houses.”

Although none of the five houses are heritage listed, a local resident earlier raised concerns over the heritage value of two of them, one designed by Neil Clerehan and another part of Robin Boyd’s Small Homes Service.

Two are weatherboard and three are brick, and each is quite different.

“Some of the houses do have some lovely heritage features,” Mr Cress said, adding that the program has “always celebrated” heritage details.

The Block airs on Channel Nine, majority owner of Domain.

Ms Jacobs is looking for her next renovation project after playing a key role in the sale.

She said she was approached by the show about selling her own home as it is in a cul-de-sac, and offered to ask if any of her neighbours were interested.

“I explained that we need five [houses], if we don’t have five it won’t happen,” she said.

“Two of them were leased. One was probably the first resident of Bronte Court, he had just moved to an aged-care facility.

“Life is all about timing.”

After not being able to renovate her home exactly the way she wanted, she said selling and looking for another project was a “no brainer” – even if not all her neighbours felt the same way.

“They were given every opportunity, they were never pressured and we respect that they don’t want to sell,” she said.

“At the end of the day their house is going to be worth a lot more.

“If a normal developer had gone into that court you would be getting units… If they are just renovating an existing property you are going to get families back in there.”

A Bayside Council spokesperson confirmed no planning applications have been lodged for the five houses. But photos posted on social media show skip bins and machinery arriving in the cul-de-sac already.

A Nine spokesperson confirmed the show will take place in Bronte Court, Hampton, next year, but would not be drawn on details. “To protect the element of surprise for future contests, we won’t be revealing more at this stage,” the spokesperson said.