First elimination on House Rules

It was a difficult task set for the teams on House Rules: Makeover your least favourite zone in your own house. The elimination task was to be completed in 24 hours and had other limitations too, as detailed in our previous House Rules recap.

The reason this challenge was so hard for the teams was that most zones had been completed to an excellent standard, leaving it almost impossible to improve upon what was already there. However, some teams really nailed it and managed to get their chosen zones more in-line with the original house rules.

Tasmania

Cassie and Matt actually didn't win the challenge, although they got eight points from both of the judges. However, they did top the leader board when the main challenges were counted as well, which earned them a secondary prize. They were allowed a mini-holiday on Fraser Island with family and friends, as you can see on the TV7 blog.

It just goes to show, all of that DIY painting and floor sanding paid off in the end, and there could be plenty more fun and relaxation in the sun if they manage to pay off their mortgage with the prize money reserved for the winner of the series.

The 24-hour fix-up performed by the Tassie pair was an overhaul of Brian and Karina's work in the bathroom and dining room, where they pared back the visual statements, while retaining key features of the initial renovation.

Queensland

Taking out the makeover challenge, Queenslanders Ben and Danielle were top of the table with 18 points. They chose to redo Steve and Tiana's section of the house in a style that was more in-line with their 'preppy eclectic' house rule.

The hero piece was a massive graphic of a cat, which was bold and tied the room together - creating a focal point for the rest of the furniture to work towards. The dark navy feature wall added more character than the lacklustre white exposed brick, and an innovative storage solution caught the judges' eyes.

Under the stairs the Queensland pair made good use of electric saws to create some elegant, yet understated shelving out of plywood.

Steve and Tiana's striped hallway was maintained, but the stripes were painted thicker and in the same navy tone as the bedroom, which suited the space well. Contrasted with a plain white wall, the narrow passage didn't seem too dark.

Western Australia

Brian and Karina had a monumental task ahead of them, as they tried to rework Ryan and Marlee's zone. Getting to grips with the pantry, laundry and living room, the first thing to go was the ochre paint scheme that the WA couple did not favour - even though the judges loved it.

It was a bold move, but the turquoise-tinted hue they chose brought in more of the coastal side of their desert-coastal theme, and the judges were impressed in the end by the colour choice. However, at the end of the day, the hard work was too little, too late. Even in third place with 15 points for the 24-hour reno, they still couldn't elevate their overall score enough to stay in the game.

The couple was sad to go but thankful for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete and to have their house made into a home they could enjoy forever. While there isn't much left to do on their stylish pad, the teams didn't do the outdoors, so no doubt Brian and Karina will be looking for some landscaping ideas to finish off their garden.

Coming up on House Rules

In the next elimination round the teams face the most outlandish House Rules challenge yet: Completely renovating an old Queenslander that has been transported to an idyllic holiday location. What makes this so unique? One lucky House Rules viewer will win the holiday home!