With a sale price of $3.067 million, 46A Regent Street was the standout result, netting the young couple – aged 24 and 28 – a $550,000 prize packet: $447,000 over their $2.62 million reserve and a $100,000 winner’s prize, which, Knowles said, meant the pair had paid off their mortgage.

At the other end of the Block, Melbourne couple Sarah and Jason Price’s renovation at 46E sold for $3.007 million against a reserve of $2.62 million. The Prices won $387,000.

But three of the other four competing teams did not fare as well, and one property – 46C, renovated by Perth couple Georgia and Ronnie Caceres – passed in on a $2.6 million bid, to the shock of the 80-strong crowd.

Their house later sold by negotiation for $2.781 million, $161,000 over reserve.

Townsville couple Hannah and Clint Amos, who renovated 46D, took home $95,000 after their house sold for $2.615 million. 46B, renovated by NSW south coast team Mark “Sticks” Croker and Clint “Wombat” Price, sold for $2.65 million, gifting the best mates a prize of $130,000.

The total prize pool of $1.22 million is well down on last year’s $2.835 million, and this season marks the first since season four in 2011 that a property passed in.

Hughes, who watched the auction unfold flanked by former Bachelor Sam Wood, was excited to have walked away with Knowles and Barker’s house, which he described as a “forever investment”.

“It’s a good street, it’s going to be a great street forever,” said Hughes, who first saw the house a few months ago when filming for his KIIS FM radio show. “Obviously it’s a lot of money but I just think that area is going to continue to improve, even though it’s already really good.

“I want us to own that property for 20 years basically so it’s a long term investment. We might move in there eventually but we’ll rent it out for a start.”

Buyers’ advocate Greville Pabst, who acted for Hughes at the auction, was not surprised that the property sold above $3 million.

“I always thought I would actually need little bit more than that,” he said.

“I think we bought really well. I was surprised more money wasn’t thrown at it and I didn’t have more competition, so I was really happy to get it at that price.”

Model Knowles and carpenter Barker, though thrilled with their victory, said the results meant they could not celebrate as planned with their good friends, Sticks and Wombat.

“It’s pretty hard to swallow what’s just happened,” Barker said. “We obviously had a pretty good outcome … the boys, not so good, though they’re still happy with it.

“It’s hard for us to push on and celebrate as we planned with their results. It’s a tough one, mixed emotions; a tough one to explain at the moment.”

The teams seemed slightly stunned that there had been such disparity in the results for the “bookend” properties – 46A and 46E – and those in the middle.

But buyers’ advocate Nicole Jacobs, who bought three of the five properties for the second season running, said the reserves were fair.

“If I was selling these houses, my reserve would have been way above these reserves,” she said. “The reserves for The Block are essentially for the contestants to win money, but these are so similar … you could argue the bookend [houses] were worth more and their reserves were higher as a result.”

Ms Jacobs bought the houses renovated by Sticks and Wombat, Georgia and Ronnie and Sarah and Jason.

But rival buyers’ advocate Frank Valentic, who bought Hannah and Clint’s house, thought the reserves were high.

“I was surprised that the reserves were as high as they were given that the quote was there,” he said. “When we heard the reserves, we thought they’d be lower, more around $2.3 (million) for the middle (houses) and $2.5 million for the bookends, but they were valued at $2.8 million given the land size.”

Knowles said she and Barker plan to renovate again quite soon, and their Coburg property goes under the hammer next month.

“We are looking for another renovation, another place, God help us, but we’re ready for our next adventure on our own time schedule,” she said.

“We’ve got so many different designs and ideas that we haven’t even used on The Block yet, so we want to showcase to everyone what we can do again, but maybe even on a bigger, grander scale, even though The Block was huge.”

Barker added: “We’re going to jump into it pretty quickly; we’ll probably purchase in the next three months and we want to do a reno that’s pretty quick – looking at a six- to nine-month turnaround.”

Hughes was seen at last year’s Block auctions but did not bid. He said he had been looking for a long time for “a really good house”.

“Melbourne real estate just keeps going up and up. If you don’t buy houses, you feel like you’re going to miss out.”

Channel Nine has already committed to a 14th season of the top-rating show, with work expected to begin soon on the site formerly known as the infamous Gatwick Hotel in St Kilda.