NEWCASTLE’S Dean and Shay Paine are The Block 2015 champions after winning a near-record $755,000 in tonight’s final.
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The Warners Bay couple held each other as their Melbourne apartment went under the hammer for $2.3 million - $655,000 above its reserve price.
In the third auction of the night, the childhood sweethearts saw their penthouse apartment surge past its reserve of $1.645 million before eventually selling for $2.3 million.
It was the highest sale of the night and netted Dean and Shay a profit of $655,000 – more than any other couple. As series champions, they won an extra $100,000.
“We just can’t believe how it’s panned out,” Dean told the Newcastle Herald.
“It still doesn’t seem real.”
He paid tribute to the family, friends and strangers who have supported the couple from the Hunter.
“Coming from Newcastle, we love this place so much.”
Shay, who left her job as a high school English and drama teacher before the series, said the couple will now concentrate on launching a design consultancy business.
They also have a two-year-old daughter, Everly.
“It’s definitely the kind of money that will change our lives,” she said.
It came down to a few bids.
West Australian runners-up Ebony and Luke missed out by a mere $15,000, vindicating Dean and Shay’s choice to go to auction third.
In the final auction of the night, their sub-penthouse apartment sold for $2.2 million, $640,000 above its reserve.
The auction, though, threatened to fizzle when bidding stalled at $1.610 million.
Queenslanders Caro and Kingi came third after their level-two apartment sold for $1.735 million, awarding them a profit of $405,000.
Dean and Shay are the first Hunter winners of The Block since East Maitland’s Brad and Lara Cranfield in 2012.
The Cranfields bought and rennovated the Maryville Tavern in Islington last year.
“We’ll have to have a beer in their pub,” said Shay.