EXCLUSIVE The Block's HUGE finished homes dwarf their tiny Daylesford neighbours as 2025 builds are complete - but with cladding and pickleball courts, do they fit into the country town?

Daily Mail​

6 hours ago

With the new season of The Block just around the corner, anticipation is reaching fever pitch around what fans can expect from the Channel Nine juggernaut's 21st season.
Images obtained by Daily Mail Australia reveal that the builds for the 2025 iteration are now complete, and it seems this year's crop of Blockheads had quite the canvas to work with.
While this year's Block will take place in the small country Victorian town of Daylesford, don't expect any diminutive rural cottages.
The five houses look absolutely massive, and aerial photos of the site show the recently finished builds dwarfing the existing properties that line the perimeter.
Each of the sleek and modern supersized builds is built as a 'H' design layout, with courtyard spaces in front and back of the home.
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However, each one features a unique exterior covering - from cladding to Colourbond and landscaped gardens.
One property even features a pickleball court, as well as an in-ground pool and what appears to be a smaller plunge pool next to a cabana.
One of the houses already looks lived in, with one photograph showing a Hills Hoist clothesline complete with washing.
While viewers may think they have already seen it all on the drama-packed reality TV show, the 2025 season will be injecting another never-before-seen twist.
Contestants had to renovate their luxury homes completely from scratch in a new plotline that is sure to inject even more tension into the already time-pressured and stressful builds.
According to the planning documents submitted to Hepburn Shire Council, contestants were required to complete the shell of a five-bedroom floor plan, including a study, living area, and a garage.
The properties will also include other lavish amenities, including a covered outdoor area and a heated swimming pool.
While Nine is remaining tight-lipped on the official name of the upcoming series, whispers around the network suggest the new series could easily be branded as a sequel to the 2022 'Tree Change' season.
That season was set in Gisborne in the Macedon Ranges - just a short drive from this year's location.
'Honestly, the style and finish of the homes are nearly identical to what we saw in Tree Change,' the insider said.
'Same vibe, same tones, same country-chic energy.'
The series, which wrapped filming on June 1, is set to premiere slightly earlier than usual, with a launch tipped for the first week of August.
While fans have come to expect fiery feuds and over-the-top drama, insiders say this season is shaping up to be very different.
'There's actually much less conflict this year,' one well-placed insider said.
'But that doesn't mean it's boring. There's a charm and warmth to this season that will surprise long-term fans.'
However, the source added that not everyone is convinced that producers have fully tapped into the healthy, holistic living vibe Daylesford is known for.
'There was a lot of talk early on that the season might embrace living off the land, healthy eating and holistic living, which the town is so well known for,' the insider said.
'But in reality, the houses are still very much classic Block homes.'
It comes as Nine unveiled its first look at the new series, in a teaser clip that aired during their State Of Origin game two coverage.
The clip showed hosts Scott Cam and Shelley Craft driving Block-themed big rigs in a convoy to the new locale.
'This year, we've packed up the whole shebang, and we're heading for somewhere special,' Scott says in the clip.
'That's right Australia, I've found a cracker of a country town, you're gonna love and we're rolling in for a truckload of fun.'
The tongue-in-cheek preview also gives fans a first look at the 2025 Block teams - Emma and Ben, Han and Can, Robbie and Matt, Alicia and Sonny, and Britt and Taz.
The teams were shown excitedly jumping out of Scott's big rig to promote what is promised to be the best Block season yet.
News Corp reported in December that Nine dropped almost $10million to acquire the land that has been subdivided into five separate lots.
The publication reported that the Nine-owned company Micjoy Pty Ltd took ownership of the parcel of land for $9,445,801.00.
The figure is on par with previous Block purchases, with Micjoy dropping $10million on the notorious Gatwick Hotel in Melbourne for the Block's 2017 season.
The company also paid $14.3 million for five properties in Hampton East, Melbourne, for the 2022 series.