The Block 2026 Results: Price Guides, Reserves and Sale Prices in Mount Eliza

Five houses. One reserve. Every one sold.

On Sunday 1 November, all five Block houses in Mount Eliza went under the hammer. Every one sold, for a combined $20.8 million.

That's $3.55 million above the reserve, in a Melbourne market where clearance rates have been hovering around 50 per cent and prices are falling.

This was the first Block in Victoria under the new reserve disclosure rules. So for the first time, everyone watching knew the seller's number a week before auction day.

Here's what each house was quoted at, what the reserve was, what it sold for, and what we took from it as agents who sell in this patch every week.

The results

Every house was quoted at $3.6 million to $3.9 million. Every reserve was set at $3.45 million, $150,000 below the bottom of the quoted range. Four of the five sold above the top of the guide.

House 1: Adam and Jolene, 2 Mackillop Place
Quoted guide: $3.6m to $3.9m
Reserve: $3.45m
Sold: $3,905,000
Over reserve: $455,000

House 2: Chantel and Wyatt, 3 Mackillop Place
Quoted guide: $3.6m to $3.9m
Reserve: $3.45m
Sold: $3,817,000
Over reserve: $367,000

House 3: Lisa and Rosco, 4 Mackillop Place
Quoted guide: $3.6m to $3.9m
Reserve: $3.45m
Sold: $4,000,000
Over reserve: $550,000

House 4: Courtney and Sev, 9 Mackillop Place
Quoted guide: $3.6m to $3.9m
Reserve: $3.45m
Sold: $4,720,000
Over reserve: $1,270,000

House 5: Rick and Tayla, 10 Mackillop Place
Quoted guide: $3.6m to $3.9m
Reserve: $3.45m (adjusted to $3.4m)
Sold: $4,355,000
Over reserve: $905,000 ($955,000 over their adjusted reserve)

Total sold: $20,797,000
Total over reserve: $3,547,000

Rick and Tayla won a challenge late in the season that took $50,000 off their reserve.

Auction order on the day: House 1, House 4, House 3, House 2, House 5. Courtney and Sev swapped into second spot at the last minute.

How each auction played out

First up: House 1, Adam and Jolene, $3,905,000
This house was listed with Aqua Real Estate and called by Damien Cooley. It had seven registered bidders. Regular Block buyer Danny Wallis opened at $3,500,000 and 52 cents, already above reserve. A family bought it for $3.905 million, just over the top of the guide.

Second: House 4, Courtney and Sev, $4,720,000
This house was listed with OBrien Real Estate and called by Paul Tzamalis. It had 17 registered bidders, the most for any house in Block history. Bidding opened under reserve at $3.4 million, then a buyers' advocate jumped it straight to $3.7 million. Six bidders were still in at the end. A Melbourne family bought it as a weekender for $4.72 million, $820,000 over the top of the guide. With prize money, Courtney and Sev walked away with a record $1.87 million.

Third: House 3, Lisa and Rosco, $4,000,000
Mark Nunn called this one. It was the longest auction in Block history: more than 100 bids over 40 plus minutes, with some rises as small as $100. Two new bidders only entered once it passed $3.83 million. It sold for $4 million.

Fourth: House 2, Chantel and Wyatt, $3,817,000
This house was listed with McEwing Partners. After a tougher campaign, the agent asked to swap from second to fourth so the house would meet the underbidders from the earlier auctions. It opened under reserve at $3.3 million before Danny Wallis lifted it to $3.7 million and put it on the market. It sold for $3.817 million, the only house that didn't pass the top of the guide.

Last: House 5, Rick and Tayla, $4,355,000
This was the biggest block on the site. It was listed with Ash Morton Realty and called by 22 year old Ryan King, the youngest auctioneer in Block history. It opened at $3.5 million and finished at $4.355 million, the second highest result of the day.

Quoted guide vs reserve: why it mattered this year

The Block set its reserves $150,000 under the quoted guide, and the buyers came. That's the opposite of what most people expect.

The guide and the reserve do two different jobs.

The quoted guide is the agent's estimate of where the property should sell.

The reserve is the lowest price the seller will accept. Once bidding passes it, the property is on the market and sells to the highest bidder.

Since 16 October 2026, every Victorian auction must have its reserve published as a single dollar figure at least seven days before auction day. If it isn't published in time, the auction can't go ahead. If the seller changes it, the seven day clock starts again.

That changes the game. Before, buyers guessed the reserve. Now they read it. A reserve that looks too high a week out can stop people registering at all. A reserve that looks achievable gets people through the door and onto the bidding list.

Buyers' advocate Frank Valentic bid for clients on the day. He said the reserves sitting under the guide created more buyer interest. House 4's 17 registered bidders back that up.

The Merchan Take

Strip away the TV and Sunday came down to three things. They're the same three things that get a great result on any street in Frankston South.

1. The right reserve.
A reserve isn't a target. It's the door. Set it right and you get an ample number of registered bidders on the day. Set it to protect your ego and nobody walks through. Under the new rules everyone sees that number a week out, so getting it right has never mattered more.

2. A clear maximum exposure campaign.
Every person on the planet looking for a home like yours needs to see it, on the right platforms, in the right way. The Block had national TV. You won't. But you can have a campaign that finds every serious buyer before auction day, so you know who's in the room before the first bid.

3. The right agent asking for significant increases, even when the reserve has been exceeded.
This is where the money is. House 2 opened under reserve and still finished $367,000 over. House 3 took more than 100 bids. Somebody had to keep asking.

Juan has been calling auctions for 25 years. His best results have come from his ability to ask for more money when ego and emotion are strongly present. Sunday had plenty of both.

A few more observations from the day.

Competition drives price. Every buyer type turned up. Bargain hunters opened, logical buyers pushed, emotional buyers stretched, and then the buyer who had to have it paid the premium. That's exactly how we run our auctions.

Order and momentum matter. Moving House 2 to fourth gave it the underbidders from earlier houses. Knowing who your underbidders are, and where they'll go next, is real strategy.

Keep it in perspective. These were brand new, fully finished homes on big blocks with bay views and three months of national TV behind them. The Mount Eliza median sits around $1.64 million. Block prices aren't a valuation of your home. The process behind them is the lesson.

So here's our question for you. Do you think those houses should have sold for that at the very end?

Selling in Frankston South, Frankston or Mount Eliza?

The Block just showed the whole country what a well run auction looks like in a tough market. The same principles work on your street.

Before you choose how to sell, ask your agent three questions:

1. How will you set my reserve so it brings buyers in, now that everyone sees it a week out?
2. How will you find every serious buyer before auction day, and how will I see their feedback?
3. What do you do once my reserve has been passed?

If the answer to the third one is "knock it down", keep looking.

We're a family run agency. Juan and I sell in this patch every week, and we'd be happy to walk you through how we'd run your campaign.

Merchan Realty Group
56 Norman Avenue, Frankston South

The Block 2026: quick answers

What was the reserve for The Block 2026 houses?
It was $3.45 million for all five. Rick and Tayla's was cut to $3.4 million after a challenge win.

What were the quoted price guides?
$3.6 million to $3.9 million for every house.

Did all the Block 2026 houses sell?
Yes. All five sold at auction on 1 November 2026, for a combined $20.8 million.

Who won The Block 2026?
Courtney and Sev. House 4 sold for $4.72 million, $1.27 million over reserve, and their total winnings were a record $1.87 million.

Where are The Block 2026 houses?
2, 3, 4, 9 and 10 Mackillop Place, Mount Eliza.

Do Victorian sellers have to publish their reserve now?
Yes. For auctions held from 16 October 2026, the reserve must be published as a single figure at least seven days before the auction.