It wouldn’t be The Block without the drama, and the 2019 season of the most popular renovation show in Australia is not disappointing die-hard fans.
The latest season of Channel Nine renovation show follows five couples as they take on the challenge of renovating five separate three-storey terraces in St Kilda.
The building, which was previously known as The Oslo Hotel, has been the setting of a season mired with controversy.
Contestants Mitch Edwards, 56, and Mark McKie, 57, have come under fire as it has been revealed they are professional property flippers.
Woman’s Day Magazine reports that the other couples are ‘outraged’ by this revelation. An insider to the show told the publication that ‘the other couples definitively felt it was unfair. The last thing you want to find out is that you’re up against a team who essentially do this for a living.’
But how much renovation experience do the ‘stylish grandads’ actually have? Property Market Investor looks at the couple’s renovation background.
Mitch and Mark’s renovation past
It has been revealed that Mitch and Mark have been involved in the world of house renovations for the past 13 years, having made a profit of $3.5 million flipping houses.
Reports say the couple has flipped 17 properties with renovation costs ranging from $30,000 to $250,000.
Most of their flipping has been done around Kings Cross, including the Elan apartment building. In 2009, the couple paid $890,000 for a two-bedroom apartment on the 20th floor, which sold for $1.34 million just 18 months later. They have also sold a 24th-floor two-bedroom apartment for $1,875,000 in 2017, after paying $1.47 million for it two years earlier.
The couple also tackled another renovation project Tamarana in 2016, making $300,000 just nine months after buying it in buying for $780,000.
One of the pair’s current ventures includes a North Bondi apartment, which they’ve renovated since paying $855,000. The apartment is listed for sale by Tony Dowling and Vicki Laing at Laing Real Estate.
Read more: how much should your renovation cost?
What Mitch and Mark Say have to say about their renovation experience
Mitch and Mark were chosen to star on The Block from more than 45,000 entrants.
Taking to Homes to Love, the Sydney Couple reveals their decision to audition for the show was spur of the moment, “We applied for The Block because, at 9:30pm that night, we saw that entries were closing and I said to Mark ‘why don’t we do it’ and Mark said ‘knock yourself out’. So, I sent through the video and it went through at 11:55:55pm,” explains Mitch.
The couple says that they have been together for 14 years and have been flipping since they were a year into their relationship. They have renovated 17 properties in about 12 years.
“We flip properties in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney as an addition to our day jobs. We work during the day and on evenings and weekends we flip properties,” says Mark.
Although they admit they are not new to the world of renovations, they clarify that they have no practical building experience, and have never been “on the tools”.
“But we’ve never done the building labour, we’ve done more of buying the property, doing the planning, budgeting and doing the styling – not doing the build,” added Mitch.
The couple reveals they are also familiar with the less glamorous side of renovating, “During our second renovation we had no bathroom and no toilet,” says Mitch. “Mark was away while this was happening, so if I wanted to go to the toilet, I’d have to go to the Prince of Wales hotel.”
When asked to describe the go-to style when looking for home renovation ideas, Mitch and Mark say that it varies, but they are certainly not known for being minimalist. “Our style is varied but generally but it always has a backstop of being luxe. We’ve done beach, we’ve done Hamptons, we’ve done eclectic,” says Mitch.
When asked about their renovation ideas when going on The Block, Marks says, “I really want to play with mid-century modern, but a luxe version of mid-century modern, because I feel that it’s going to grow and I want to make a challenge for us to do something new, not just recreate something we’ve done in the past.”
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The Block 2020
The most popular renovation show in Australia will be back for another season in 2020. For the first time, the set is going to be nothing more than a block of vacant land.
Reports say a company owned by Nine bought a $15 million block in Melbourne’s Brighton, one of the most exclusive parks in town.
Planning to renovate and want to get an overview of your expected renovation costs? Read this article to learn more about average renovation costs per room in Australia.
If you are planning to renovate an apartment, you should bear in mind that there are different rules that apply to apartment renovations. Read our Apartment Renovation 101 guide to learn more.