Last night House Rules finished it’s whole house reveal phase of the competition and there were tears all round.
Victorian homeowners Claire and Hagan burst into tears of happiness as they saw their lego home completely transformed, making House Rules history with an entire level added to its original, tiny frame. After living in a cramped one bedroom for three years; the family of four now has the privacy of their own bedrooms and a beautiful home to entertain in.
The homeowners’ favourite zone belonged to the victorious Dalby twins who reclaimed their spot at the top of the leaderboard with their third win so far after losing their way the week before at Rose and Rob’s house in WA Judge Joe Snell scored the boys a 10 for their clever interpretation of the warehouse raw house rule and the utilisation of industrial and upcycled materials in their zone, including the dining room and master bedroom. “Your zone was so good I wanted to give it 11,” said Joe. Wendy Moore also sang the boys’ praises. “Your master bedroom was masterful because you did a few simple things really well. “Your black framed mirrors worked perfectly with the black framed windows so it made the room feel huge.”
Joe and Fil weren’t far behind the boys’ lead this week, receiving a perfect 10 from Wendy for their kitchen and Matilda’s Alice in Wonderland themed bedroom. The judges were blown away by the fantasy created in the room, including the magical secret pathway linking it to her sister Darcy’s room. Three-year-old Matilda beamed: “I love it to the moon and back,” prompting her parents to award the zone a 10 also.
Despite Brooke and Michelle’s hand-painted wall art and upside-down lights, Wendy thought Darcy’s room didn’t have as much wow factor. Their subway tiles and exposed pipes in the laundry were hits with the judges, however, they were less impressed by their painting. They scored 15/20 from the judges.
Nancy and Daniel’s DIY artwork helped them to their biggest score of the competition with 17/20 from the judges. “Your painting was stunning; it worked so well in the living room. In fact, your whole living room worked really well,” said Wendy. The open ensuite designed by Rose and Rob proved to be their undoing. Neither judges nor homeowners were au fait with the lack of privacy and they were scored seven from Joe, six from Wendy and six from Claire and Hagan.
Unfortunately, Rose and Rob are the first team to depart the competition. But they definitely saw the silver lining in their elimination following six full house renovations.
“It’s exciting for us. We have a home now and three boys who we miss terribly so there is definitely a silver lining,” said Rose. “To walk into our freshly renovated house was mind blowing. This is the only competition you enter where even the loser wins.”
The West Australian parents sat at the bottom of the leaderboard with 103 points following the sixth and final full house renovation at Claire and Hagan’s home on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Sitting on top was Luke and Cody with 118 points following a return to top form in the final reveal.
Victoria homeowners Claire and Hagan scored the teams out of 10:
QLD Luke & Cody (dining, master bedroom) – 10
VIC Fil & Joe (kitchen, Matilda’s bedroom) – 9
SA Brooke & Michelle (laundry, Darcy’s bedroom) – 8
NSW Nancy & Daniel (living room, bathroom) – 7
VIC Rose & Rob (family room, stairs, hallway, ensuite) – 6
When combined with the judges’ scores, the leaderboard was:
However, the scoreboard was wiped clean with the departure of Rose and Rob and the five teams remaining start tonight’s 24 hour challenge on even ground.
Armed with just 24 hours and $5,000, the teams are sent back to their freshly renovated homes for a mad dash at DIY improvement. They must identify a zone in need of change and pump all their love and energy into bringing it more in line with their original house rules.
With another elimination following the fix up results, teams must work hard and smart to utilise their limited time and budget. Who will win the ultimate prize – their mortgage paid off in full?
House Rules airs Monday and Tuesday at 7:30pm and Sunday at 7pm.
