We all love a renovation show. And now there’s even more reason to be invested in colour palettes, flooring choices and lighting options — it’s us who could be moving in.
Seven’s new reality renovation program My Reno Rules is coming to screens this week, and sees four teams renovating two side-by-side run-down 1970s homes in the Melbourne suburb of Bulleen.
Each week the couples are tasked with making-over spaces in the houses, competing for a chance to win $100,000 prize money, plus extra incentives along the way.
So far, so same-same, right?
Here’s the kicker — instead of the houses going up for public auction, snapped up by multimillionaire investors for astronomical prices, they’ll be raffled off by millionaire entrepreneur, Adrian Portelli.
He’s the guy who’s famously bought a stack of those Block houses over the years, and this time he’s stumped up the cash to fund this unique renovation project — and we’re the ones who could walk away winners.
“When you’re watching a renovation show, you can sometimes feel a little detached from it,” says My Reno Rules host Dr Chris Brown.
“But in this show you are watching a renovation take place, and you could potentially win both homes.
“You are invested in the tile choices and the grout — so, yeah, it’s a different approach, but it’s amazing, and it’s not been done before.
“It’s great we are bringing all that to life.”
Competing in the series are Queensland mother-daughter duo Emma and Michelle, alongside young parents from Victoria, Nathan and Julia, in house one.
In house two, best mates from Victoria, Franky and Isaac, are paired with newlywed parents Mitch and Shaz (also from Queensland), with the houses judged by a stellar line-up of in-the-know industry professionals.
Ex-Block judge Neale Whitaker has jumped ship, and is in the judging hot seat with well known Sydney buyer’s agent and star of Luxe Listings, Simon Cohen, plus interior stylist and author Julia Green.
They’ll be casting their trained eyes over the spaces each week, with scores tallied on a leaderboard — the team with the most points at the end of the competition will win themselves a life-changing $100,000 plus any other incentives they have picked up during the comp.
“We filmed for about three or four months, which is pretty standard for a renovation show. But the houses have been essentially finished — we just don’t know who has won yet, because the judges haven’t given their final scores,” Brown explains.
“So the final scores are given on the night of the finale.
“It’s live, and potentially a big street party, where you will see the finished homes for the first time, and you will find out which of the couples win a really impressive prize.”
The show began filming last year, and Brown was on site every step of the way.
He says viewers should expect the unexpected.
“Every team has to renovate a house, room by room, like other renovation shows, but there are all sorts of curve balls along the way (that the contestants) have to negotiate,” he explains.
“The rules change as they go, and there is all sorts of controversy, challenges, twists, and all sorts of little moments that kept me on the hop — it’s great.”
Portelli made sure he kept the contestants on their toes.
“When you have someone like Adrian Portelli involved, he just sprinkles his magic dust on everything,” Brown says.
“He will often decide — sometimes in the moment — what he is going to do, when he visits the site, and we’re all just left going, ‘ . . . OK then.’
Brown says he can’t wait for viewers to see the results of the renovations, which he describes as “masterpieces”.
“We had a ball making it, and we can’t wait for the live finale when it all comes together,” he says.
“Hopefully two very deserving Australian families will win the two homes that have been renovated.
“The homes — anyone would want to live there.
“They are absolutely incredible.”
My Reno Rules premieres Tuesday April 21 at 7.30pm on Seven.
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