The Block‘s auction could be affected by new reserve price law changes that have been proposed in Victoria.
The 2026 series is being filmed in Mt Eliza, on Melbourne’s elite Mornington Peninsula, and there have been whispers that it will feature even more expensive homes than this year’s big-budget Daylesford builds, despite two homes passing in.
Despite the 2025 auction blow, the reserve prices have been tipped to soar past Daylesford’s already eye-watering figures, but a major change could shake up the luxury auction plans.
The Allan government has proposed an Australian-first law to be introduced next year, which would require real estate agents to publish the minimum price the seller will accept at auction.
The new rule would see sellers have to disclose their reserve price seven days before an auction takes place in a bid to prevent underquoting. Currently, reserve prices are kept confidential from bidders.
Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos said the seven-day proposal would give both vendors and buyers an adequate amount of time to access prior to an auction.
Meanwhile, Victoria Premier Jacinta Allan said she wants to make the auction system to be “fairer and more transparent”.
The proposed change could mean that The Block‘s reserve price would have be published a week before the live auction.
Executive Producer Julian Cress told TV Tonight of the proposal: “I’m all for any positive change that can help first home buyers get into the market, because I was one, and I remember how hard it was.
“But real estate transactions are about buying and sellers, and I’m not sure that the sellers being forced to accept a price that they may not be happy with, is going to be the solution that everyone’s looking for.”
“I don’t think that [sellers are] necessarily going to want to be forced to reveal the price that they will accept a week before they go to auction and be forced to accept that price,” he added.
Insiders told New Idea that The Block‘s 2026 season is shaping up to be the show’s most premium yet, with reserve prices tipped to soar past the 2025 properties, despite two passing in at auction this year.
“This isn’t the return to relatable renos fans hoped for,” one production insider revealed.
“There was a push to go back to the suburban roots of the show, but the network wants spectacle and Mt Eliza delivers that price tag.”
Longtime viewers have begged for a season that ordinary families could relate to, but amid mortgage stress and a housing crisis, the blockbuster-budget direction appears locked in.
“They’ve doubled down,” the source explained.
“Bigger builds, bigger budgets, bigger expectations. Mt Eliza is prestigious real estate. They’re not pretending otherwise.”
With rising reserves comes rising pressure.
This year’s Daylesford auctions sparked debate about whether The Block has drifted too far from its humble home-reno beginnings.
Fans hoping for a “fix-up the fibro” throwback season may be disappointed, as insiders say Channel Nine wants to capitalise on aspirational, millionaire-buyer drama for another year.
“Producers believe viewers tune in for the fantasy,” says the insider.
“They want the drama, the glamour, the big-money moments.”
Early whispers of the high-end direction have already stirred chatter online from loyal Blockheads longing for a slice of nostalgia.
But one thing’s for certain, when the hammer falls in Mt Eliza, the price shock is likely to land just as hard as the drama.
Buckle up, the luxury reno show is only getting bigger.
