Nicole Jacobs is a professional buyers advocate, who this year on The Block Triple Threat joins Greville Pabst and Frank Valentic to form The Block’s Jury Judges.
While the show’s style judges – Neale, Shaynna and Darren – provide critiques on the design and decor of the revealed rooms, The job of the Jury Judges is to provide strategic recommendations to the teams from a buyers perspective, so they can execute layout and finishes that meet the local market’s high expectations.
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So what are her thoughts on The Block Triple Threat’s teams? And what does she make of the infamous floor plan dramas this season? I caught five minutes with Nicole to ask all of those questions and more.
Here’s what Nicole had to say.
On the difference between the buyers advocates and the show’s judges.
“The style judges judge the rooms with a greater emphasis on what is trending now,” Nicole explains. “They appreciate the finer nuances of how textures and fabrics work along with furniture and spaces. As Jury judges, we are very focused on the flow of the rooms (floor plan), the quality of the finishes like paint work, surfaces and the quality of anything fixed (floorboards, tiling, appliances chosen to meet the market etc)”.
What they offer to The Blockheads.
“We can give the contestants valuable knowledge to meet the market today (trends, maximising their returns on auction day) and into the future (return on investment and capital growth)”.
On the much talked about Darren and Dea floor plan change.
“Changing an architects plans are always going to be risky,” Nicole says. “As Jury Judges, we all felt the open plan layout was a positive as we see many developments and this is how most buyers are choosing to live. It connects the three spaces and it gives an illusion of space and that adds dollars on auction day”.
On Ayden and Jess’ kitchen move.
“Some may argue that moving the kitchen to the large area overlooking the outdoor courtyard was a negative as it meant compromising the living space from a point of view of size and of outlook and light. As a stand alone kitchen it is quite spectacular, but the size maybe considered by some as out of proportion to the rest of the residence”.
Are there any major downsides in this year’s apartments?
“Nothing major. I think that the end result of these residences is very good. They each have specific positives that their next door neighbour does not have and each appeals to a very different buyer. When you look at the before and then the after, this block of four residences has improved the value of the properties either side of it and made a very positive impact on the streetscape of Darling Street”.
Nicole’s final thoughts on this season.
“We have to remember that this was once a block of 12 apartments and making them into four town residences is a feat in its own”.
Her tips for people selling their home to make it more appealing
“There are so many little things you can do to maximise your properties sale price but if I can only give one it would be to de-clutter,” Nicole says. “Get rid of, sell or store anything that just doesn’t need to be there. Enlist the help of friends or a professional to help you do it, or put on some great music and line up the storage boxes and bin to do it yourself. Or call our trusty friends at Smartbox to help with storage needs”.
Find out more about Nicole and her business by clicking here.
>>> What are your thoughts on this season of The Block Triple Threat compared to previous seasons? I’d love to know if you think this season is stronger or weaker than previous ones. Drop me a comment below and give me your thoughts.
