Producers buy location in Bronte Court, Hampton

Producers behind Channel Nine’s long-running reality renovation show The block spent more than $ 3 million on a home in Melbourne’s Hampton Bay owned by the buyers’ attorney Nicole Jacobs.

Just weeks before this year’s series finale in neighboring Brighton, title records show that MicJoy Pty Ltd bought Ms. Jacobs’s property, renovated last year by architect Julian Brenchley of The Block, from Ms. Jacobs in June for $ 3,025,000.

Executive producer Julian Cress has made no secret of a dead end suburban street for next year’s season, the show’s 17th.

“An idea how we can do the show that we have always dreamed of, but that we could never find, that fits the building and that is the way we wanted it,” he told 9Entertainment earlier this year.

“We’re really looking forward to next year, because we’ve found a property that actually fulfills the mandate we set. We have never done that and we are very happy about it. ”

Mr Cress said Friday that while he can confirm the Hampton location for the 2021 season, he will not disclose plans for the properties in order to keep the surprise going for attendees.

Mrs. Jacobs told Domain On Friday, Mr. Brenchley approached her with a proposal to sell her house earlier this year. “We [husband Zac and I] I couldn’t do what we wanted … now there is an opportunity to do it elsewhere, ”said Ms. Jacobs.

“Life is meant to be lived, and when opportunities arise, judge… Nobody twisted my arm.

“One of the things I love The block is that they take houses and renovate them. I hope they will do something nice to these houses. ”

Look at the Block Properties for sale

Ms. Jacobs, whose real estate attorney business is based in Brighton – which many believe its location should give her the advantage for this year’s auctions – has purchased 13 properties for clients in the past few seasons.

She said she was excited about possibly buying her old home for another family next year.

“I’ll likely have a mixed reaction, but at the end of the day it will be amazing to bid for someone else,” said Ms. Jacobs.

“I want to see what they can achieve that we couldn’t.”

Other homes in Bronte Court are expected to be sold to MicJoy in the coming months, although none have settled yet, according to public title records.

Ms. Jacobs’ mid-century modernist renovation was recently completed. She bought the property in 2017 for According to records, $ 1.59 million.

The local Bayside Council has drawn criticism over the past few years for its failure to list many similar properties in Hampton and Brighton. Ms. Jacobs’ house is not a listed building.

Buying separate existing homes is a departure from many of the newer seasons of The Block. In mid-2019, MicJoy Pty Ltd paid $ 14.96 million for this season’s Brighton location and then bought abandoned homes for attendees to renovate. In previous seasons in St. Kilda, South Yarra, Prahran and Fishermans Bend, hotels, a backpacker hostel and old factories and competitors have been bought and converted into apartments.

The last existing and non-recycled real estate for the show was in the 2015 Triple Threat season when an entire block of flats was converted into four townhouses, but the last detached houses used for the show were in the 2013 All Stars season in Sydney Bondi.

This year’s properties on 360 New Street in Brighton are due for a closer look next month. A virtual inspection event will be held prior to the auction instead of a public event in order to comply with coronavirus restrictions at public gatherings.