NEED TO KNOW
- Courtney and Sev spent $53,272.33 on their winning family bathroom and secured a $250,000 kitchen upgrade package.
- Some viewers called the result unfair, arguing that staying within the allocated budget should form part of the judging criteria.
- Speaking to WHO about their overall spending strategy, Courtney and Sev admitted they were willing to go over budget to achieve their vision and would make the same choices again.
Courtney and Sev have claimed their second consecutive room reveal win on The Block, but their latest victory has left viewers divided.
The Brisbane best friends impressed the judges with their luxurious family bathroom, which featured custom joinery, a skylight, curved finishes and plenty of storage.
They received 25.5 points and secured a huge $250,000 kitchen upgrade package, but delivering a winning room came with an equally impressive price tag.
Courtney and Sev spent $53,272.33 on the bathroom, more than double their original estimate.
While the risk clearly paid off, fans have questioned whether the result was fair to the teams who completed their rooms on significantly smaller budgets.
However, Courtney and Sev told WHO why they stand by their decision.
Fans question Courtney and Sev’s $53,000 bathroom
While the judges saw a bathroom worthy of the win, many viewers saw a $53,000 budget blowout that made the result feel anything but fair.
“I wonder what everyone else’s bathrooms would look like if they too spent $53,000,” one viewer wrote on Facebook.
“It’s not even a level playing field. You shouldn’t be allowed to go that far over budget just to win the prize.”
Another fan went one step further, declaring: “Should be called cheating!”
Others argued that managing the allocated budget should form part of the judging criteria.
“Staying close to the allocated budget for each room should be factored into the judging,” wrote one person. “Essentially, it’s part of the brief.”
Not everyone agreed with the backlash, however, with one viewer pointing out that every team had the option to take the same financial gamble.
“Nobody is stopping any of them from spending that money on any of the rooms,” they wrote. “A risk the girls took which paid off for them.”
Courtney and Sev explain their Block spending strategy
Courtney and Sev have made no secret of their willingness to spend big when they believe it will strengthen the finished house.
Speaking to WHO about their broader approach to the competition, the pair admitted there were moments when they knew they would tip over budget and chose to keep going anyway.
“At one point, we already knew we were going to tip over the budget, but then we essentially threw everything at it,” they explained.
Rather than treating each room as an isolated project, Courtney and Sev considered how their spending would contribute to the finished house and its overall design.
“We saw the end product being like, that’s a part of the whole package,” they said.
The pair also knew that going over budget would attract warnings from Scott Cam and potentially create problems later in the season.
“Yes, we’re getting a lot of strikes with Scotty and it runs throughout the show, but it was well worth it,” they said.
Asked whether they would make the same choices again, Courtney and Sev had no regrets.
“Yeah, 100 per cent.”
Whether viewers agree with their strategy or not, spending $53,000 to secure a $250,000 upgrade is one risk that has certainly paid off.
The Block airs Monday to Wednesday at 7.30pm and Sundays at 7pm on Channel Nine and 9Now.
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