There were devastating scenes at The Block auction for 2025 when not one, but two houses failed to sell.
New parents Emma and Ben, and Perth-based couple Han and Can, both failed to attract any bids above the lofty reserve price of $2.99m on the day, and subsequently made the tough decision to pass both their properties in.
So what happens now? And do they still have a chance of making any profit?
What happened at The Block 2025 auction?
On season 21 of The Block, Britt and Taz took home $420,000 from the sale of their house, plus $100,000 for winning the season.
In second place was Sonny and Alicia, who took home a $120,000 profit.
But it wasn’t quite as successful for best mates Robby and Mat, who took home a paltry $109,000 between them – $54,500 each.
Meanwhile, Emma and Ben and Han and Can were left devastated on the day by a lack of results. However by passing their properties in, they may actually be better off in the long run and earn more for their efforts through a private sale.
What happens if a house doesn’t sell at The Block auction?
Houses one and two will now return to the market and become available to purchase.
If and when these luxury properties are sold, the same rules from The Block auction still apply to the sale – namely, that each team will take home any money in addition to the reserve price.
In previous years, this strategy has proven fruitful for contestants and often resulted in them earning significantly more prize money than they would have earned on auction day, if bidding had continued.
It also prevents contestants from potentially walking away with zero profit for their efforts, which is what happened to Amie and Katrina in season four and Dylan and Jenny in season 18.
How many houses haven’t sold at a The Block auction before?
In 2023, Leah and Ash waited almost four months for their Hampton East property to sell after it was passed in at auction. Ultimately, their patience paid off and they netted a cool $155,000.
In the same season, Kristy and Brett only made $65,000 after their auctioneer failed to stop bidding before it surpassed the reserve price.
A year prior, Ankur and Sharon also passed their property in at auction, going on to sell their Gisborne South house just a week later, earning themselves a profit of $170,000.
