The sentimental favourites of The Block NZ lost big time last night, but they've since been inundated with support - including a trip to the Gold Coast and a fundraising account which has already clocked over $1000.  

Wellington couple Tyson Hill and Rachel Rasch won the country's hearts with their good-natured and quirky personalities.

But the parents-of-one, who hoped to earn a profit from the show to help them purchase their own home, lost big time when they were the only contestants not to make any money when their houses went under the hammer last night.

Their Takapuna house met its reserve but didn't go a dollar over, despite their nine weeks of hard labour.

Minutes after the auctions ended last night Target host and celebrity fundraiser Brooke Howard-Smith offered an un-used bank account from a Red Nose Day appeal - which he produced - for fans to chip in for the couple.

By 7.30am the account had reached $1273.72.

"I have an empty bank account. 03 1527 0018404 000 I'll have Ernst&Young audit donations for Rachel & Tyson #TheBlockNZ #Gettheboyhis$50,"

Howard-Smith wrote in a tweet that has been shared more than 200 times.

In stark contrast to Rachel and Tyson, sibling winners Libby and Ben Crawford sold their newly renovated property for $961,000 to Lisa and Stewart Hampton of Accounting 4 Rentals.

The couple took home the $157,000 profit from the sale and $80,000 in prize money.

Stewart Hampton said the siblings' property, which was "superior" to the others ,would be used as an office.

"We have been looking for an office in Takapuna and most of them were much more expensive. We saw the show and thought actually that is a good location."

"They simply had a design style that matched our other properties. It was nothing to do with the hype. It just suited our business needs."

He said he would use some of the furniture and sell the rest. He hoped to move in at the end of October.

While Rachel and Tyson may not have got anything from the show, they were definitely the winners when it came to popularity, with news presenter Hilary Barry one of their biggest fans.

Barry had offered to bake scones for anyone who bought the couple's home.
Now, grander gestures have started pouring in.

Flight Centre offered Rachel, Tyson and their son Otis a five-day holiday on the Gold Coast.

Colin Mathura-Jeffree is encouraging everyone to give Otis $50 to make his parents happy because "it's the NZ thing to do".

Auckland investor and property consultant Olly Newland said while he missed the final episode of the programme, he was not surprised at the outcome.

"That's the way the market plays, you win some, you lose some," he said.
Newland said there could have been numerous small factors behind Rachel and

Tyson's fate, or it could simply have "been the colour of the card they got on the day".

He said he suspected that having four near similar houses at auction at the same time may have been a factor in the house just meeting reserve.

"I am not sure I would have gone to the market with them all at the same time," he said.

While not cashing in on the show, Tyson said they'd come away from it with something better.

"Look at all these great friends we've gained, my son has seen me on television and leading the way," he said. "We're taking away so many life and personal development skills."

The other two teams who lost the title of The Block NZ, contestants Sarah Adams and Richard Boobyer and Ginny Death and Rhys Wineera managed to make a tidy profit from their Anzac Ave properties.

Hosted by Black Caps cricketer-turned-broadcaster Mark Richardson, the reality TV show aired for nine weeks and has followed the couples as they renovated four rundown houses.

Rachel said everyone expected to make money on a show such as The Block NZ, which was why she took part, but there were times she had felt like leaving. "We really enjoyed making TV but not renovating," she said. "It was hard, there was times I didn't enjoy it because our son wasn't there.

"But the hardest part was tonight (last night) - we put so much blood, sweat and tears into the house."

The couple felt they might have been able to make some profit if a telephone bidder had not lost contact during the bidding war.

Despite the lows last night, the couple enjoyed their time on the show.

Tyson is hoping his short career in front of the cameras will help him gain further employment in television.

Winning couple Libby and Ben said their prize money would go towards their new business, Libby and Ben. "It's still an out-of-body experience," Ben said.

"Obviously the finance is bloody good. It's been such a crazy journey over the past 10 weeks."

Libby said the auction happened so fast but she had fears no-one would want the house. "It happened so quickly, 15 minutes didn't seem that long," she said. "Our biggest fear was that tumbleweed would blow through the auction room and no one would bid."

Ben said the programme had brought their relationship closer and in 30 or 40 years he would look back on photographs of this moment of his life.

BOTTOM LINE

• Libby and Ben's house at 78 Anzac Ave was the first to be auctioned. Their property, described as the best on the block, was sold for $961,000. The couple made a profit of $157,000 from the $804,000 reserve.
• Sarah and Richard's house at 76 Anzac Ave sold for $870,000. The couple made a profit of $64,000 from a reserve of $806,000.
• Ginny and Rhys' house at 80 Anzac Ave sold for $805,000. The couple made a profit of $11,000 from a reserve of $794,000.
• Rachel and Tyson's house at 74 Anzac Ave sold for the reserve of $789,000. The couple made no profit.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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