Block winners scoop $261,000 windfall

Alice and Caleb have won the second season of The Block.

Caleb and Alice Pearson have been announced as the winners of hit TV series The Block, selling their house for $1,126,000, giving them a profit of $181,000.

The couple beat three other teams by selling the property they renovated for the biggest profit.

All the contestants will keep the difference between what the house they renovated sold for at auction and what the property's reserve price was set at.

The Pearsons also scoop an additional $80,000 in prize money.

The winning couple said they'd probably use the money to pay off their mortgage - but Caleb warned he wouldn't let Alice "go near her credit card".

"This is unbelievable," Caleb said after the win. "It's going to change our lives."

Alice: "We came in expecting the worst and hoping for the best and this is well above what we were hoping for."

It sets a new winning record for The Block. On last year's first season, winners Libby and Ben took home $237,000.

This season, Alisa and Koan came second with $66,000, Pete and Andy came third with $27,000 and Loz and Tom came last with $25,000.

Block NZ spokeswoman Megan Stuart said estate agents indicated there was plenty of interest from serious buyers, however she declined to say how many potential buyers had registered for the auction.

The four teams spent 10 weeks and many hard, long hours to get their once run-down homes on the corner of Lake and Eversleigh Rds, on Auckland's North Shore, into pristine condition and ready for auction.

The show's second season racked up an average of 452,200 viewers per episode, and its contestants had a huge following. Ms Stuart described the viewer feedback as "phenomenal".

This year's teams were made up of two married couples _ the Pearsons from Auckland, Loz and Tom Heaphy from Nelson, young Auckland couple Alisa Keall-Grant and Koan Vette, and brothers Pete, 26, and Andy Walker, 23, from Rangitikei.

The brothers were pitched as the ultimate do-it-yourself Kiwi blokes and probably had the biggest following among the teams.

The pair's down-to-earth nature and comedic ways quickly made them viewer favourites, Ms Stuart said.

"The brothers' sense of humour became a real feature this year. But what we learned at the open homes is that each of the four teams has a big fanbase."

Earlier this month fans began queuing at 5.30am for a sneak peek of the four renovated homes, causing havoc for local traffic.

When the Herald on Sunday spoke to the contestants, Caleb and Alice - who had renovated their fair share of homes in the past - said their two-bedroom bungalow in Mt Wellington gave them the most satisfaction.

"We love it because when you put your own sweat and effort into it it feels better," Caleb said. "We put in a new kitchen and polished the floors. We love it here."

Alisa and Koan - who renovated the biggest house on The Block - worked for 70 hours straight to get through to reveal day.

"It was really tough but so worth it," Alisa said. "We adored our house on The Block - I wish it was our house now."

Pete and Andy won the People's Choice Award, earning them a Mazda6 to take home.

WHAT THEY SOLD FOR

* House 1 (Caleb and Alice): $945,000 reserve, sold for $1,126,000 (profit $181,000)
* House 2 (Alisa and Koan): $948,000 reserve, sold for $1,014,000 (profit $66,000)
* House 3 (Pete and Andy): $925,000 reserve, sold for $952,500 (profit $27,500)
* House 4 (Loz and Tom): $922,000 reserve, sold for $947,000 (profit $25,000)