- 5 hours ago
top of the block 2026 s01e05
Category
๐บ
TVTranscript
00:00It's showdown time in this idyllic rural neighbourhood,
00:03as three confident homeowners trade pitchforks for bragging rights
00:07to see whose historic farmhouse rules the roost.
00:11With sharp eyes and even sharper opinions,
00:14the judges are here to snoop and take score,
00:16while the contestants watch, ready to share some opinions of their own.
00:21And there's no colour here. Everything is pretty bland.
00:23Huh. Okay.
00:24It could have been a little higher, a little wider.
00:27It looks underwhelming.
00:30Amira and Mohamed trust their century schoolhouse charm will win best at home.
00:35This house is super unique, super original.
00:38We are not cookie-cutter people.
00:40There's nothing not to like.
00:42Karen and Adam are wagering that their Georgian gem is the cream of the crop.
00:46Win or lose, like, our house is amazing.
00:48We're gonna win, but I think if we didn't, the judges are wrong.
00:54Vanessa and Vito believe that their French country chateau will be king of the castle.
00:58We regard our house as the White House with a little bit of rock and roll.
01:03When the dust settles, only one neighbour will be able to claim the title
01:07as they're crowned top of the block.
01:13This rural region provides a tranquil escape from the city,
01:16where century-old farmhouses are converted into modern-day dwellings.
01:21Stirring things up are our judges, ready to peer, poke, and rearrange the pecking order.
01:26Maximilist News, Cassandra.
01:28As someone who's a bit more bold and loves colour, I would like to see a personality on the walls.
01:33Real estate agent, Mario.
01:35It's the little details that separate the great house from a good one.
01:38Don't even try, because you can't sneak anything past me.
01:41And style maven, Cynthia.
01:43I enjoy design, but you have to make sure that you're looking at their design style and not yours.
01:49The rules of this competition are simple.
01:52The combination of design, function, and added value must give the winner the edge over the other houses.
01:57I have no problems being judged, the house that is.
02:01That's great, Mohamed, because our judges are always ready to roast.
02:04It's time to find out whose home will reign supreme.
02:07Let the house wars begin.
02:11When people think of a rural fairy tale, they think of a house, it has that century schoolhouse feel.
02:17This house was built in 1850.
02:19We love imperfections.
02:21Every little dent, every little scratch has a story to it.
02:25We've been here for 22 years.
02:28We've raised four children in here.
02:30Two cats, two bearded dragons, a rabbit.
02:32We've raised everything in this house.
02:36We added a kitchen, a living room, and a whole second story on the back of the house.
02:42I'm very confident in our home.
02:44We've put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in renovating and maintaining this house.
02:49And we just want to show the world our home.
02:52Let's go, guys.
02:53Judge is almost here.
02:54Out you go.
02:57Our family's always been super competitive.
02:59We are the big game night people.
03:01So when we heard challenge, we thought, bring it on.
03:04You know what they say, Amira.
03:06Careful what you wish for.
03:08Oh, there's the house right there.
03:11Let's go.
03:11Let's hear it.
03:14Wow.
03:14Wow, love how the brick has been preserved on this house.
03:17It looks amazing.
03:18We bought the house because of the brick.
03:19Yeah.
03:20I like this wooden wheel here and this canteen.
03:23It has that nice feel of vintage heritage home.
03:27You guys are full of compliments, but I'm not really liking this deck.
03:30Everything looks so nice and rustic, but I just feel they should have done something
03:34about it.
03:35First impressions are everything.
03:36Fair commentary.
03:37Oh, yeah.
03:38The deck needs refinishing.
03:39Definitely, we should get to that.
03:41Sorry, Mohamed, by we, I think she means you.
03:46Wow.
03:48Look at this house.
03:49Wow, look at this.
03:50Definitely a very reclaimed vintage vibe.
03:53Mm-hmm.
03:54But you can tell everything is very original.
03:56It's just been lightly renovated.
03:58The ceiling is amazing.
03:59I love the ceiling.
04:01Yeah.
04:01Great.
04:02It's very cozy.
04:03I like the neutral tones with the pop of color in the rug and the gold-plated table.
04:08You can really tell something about the owners.
04:10I love that.
04:11See, they got you.
04:11She got me.
04:12I'm feeling Middle Eastern vibes.
04:15Yes.
04:15But I don't like these two couches because you have, like, a little bit of modern with
04:20the Middle Eastern look.
04:21I just don't think it goes.
04:23Oh, look at this.
04:24This is a really nice office space.
04:26And the fireplace?
04:29Look at this original barn board.
04:30Shut the barn door.
04:32They're old, but they're posts, not boards.
04:35Who knows where that came from?
04:36Maybe it came from the original home.
04:38Yeah.
04:38It was.
04:39It was.
04:40The fact that they didn't redo everything and they just brought it back to its original
04:44glory, it's really going to add a lot of value to the room and to the house.
04:47Yeah.
04:48What's not to love?
04:49I love the modern touches from the lamp to the sculpture.
04:53How about my painting?
04:54Let's check out the living space.
04:56I guess I stick to my day job.
04:59You know what?
04:59You can tell that this is an addition from the different elevations and the different
05:04flooring.
05:04I do love this room.
05:06It's big, open.
05:07You have this incredible lighting feature.
05:09But this portion of the home is completely different than this side of the home.
05:13And there's just way too much inconsistency for me.
05:16Hmm.
05:16I don't know that I wanted that older vibe in that room.
05:19I don't want to recreate something from 1850.
05:22Same.
05:23I agree with you.
05:24I love the solid wood table.
05:25I love the wooden chairs.
05:26Maybe not the most comfortable, but I love the aesthetic.
05:30And come on, that light fixture is pretty nice.
05:32I know you love colour, and there's no colour here.
05:35Everything is pretty bland.
05:36I do love the wood.
05:38That brings a little bit of colour in itself.
05:40A little bit of colour.
05:40But I think there could be more on the walls to bring in the personality of the owners.
05:44Yeah, that's fair.
05:45I love the fact that you have these double doors right here leading to the backyard.
05:49You can have a heck of a party here.
05:53Oh, wow.
05:55I love this light fixture.
05:58That is stunning.
06:00It was the first thing that I noticed as soon as I walked in.
06:03They've really incorporated their culture into each room.
06:06This is a true family room.
06:08Absolutely.
06:08It really is.
06:09And you think of probably, you know, the memories and the times that they have had in this room.
06:13100% you got that.
06:15Family and then some.
06:16This room is stunning.
06:17Yeah, I do too.
06:18So cosy, so bright.
06:20This is probably my favourite room of the house.
06:22Mario's really coming around.
06:23I like it.
06:24Oh.
06:25But, again, here comes the bad guy.
06:32I think the inconsistency of the floor, I really don't like it.
06:36I would have tore out all of the floors.
06:38I would have put a very rustic floor, but new and everything matching.
06:43I would never remove our old to copy a new.
06:46No.
06:46Ever.
06:49Oh, look at this room.
06:50You can really tell that this is part of the original.
06:53This is part of the original home because of the pitch of the roof, the casement windows.
06:56I do love this original door.
06:59I think it's a nice homage also to the original home.
07:02You've got to remember, it is an old home.
07:03So be careful.
07:03That's where the ghosts are hiding.
07:04Oh.
07:06No ghosts.
07:07No ghosts.
07:07We checked.
07:09Okay, I'm digging this.
07:10This is an absolute added bonus in a house of this era because you would have never had an en
07:16suite washroom, ever.
07:18Back then, chamber pots were all the rage.
07:21Nice high ceilings.
07:22Yes.
07:22Nice natural lighting.
07:23Beautiful bathtub.
07:24Very cool.
07:25Yes.
07:25I love this washroom.
07:27From a value added standpoint, you can never beat having an en suite right beside a primary bedroom.
07:33The homeowners are definitely scoring some points.
07:35Huh.
07:36Okay.
07:37Based on their opinions, still confident, still happy.
07:41We're still in a good place.
07:43Yes, nothing's been settled yet.
07:45Now, it's Karen and Adam's turn to catch the flag.
07:48This is an old Georgian-style house built in 1861.
07:52When we purchased this house, it was abandoned.
07:55The windows were boarded up.
07:56There was graffiti.
07:57You could film a horror movie in this.
07:59Yeah.
07:59We put on an addition.
08:01The house itself was a little bit too small.
08:03So Adam, being a contractor, put on a lovely addition to the back of the property.
08:08So peaches go over here?
08:10Yes.
08:10It's kind of an ode to my husband.
08:12He did all of this.
08:14It was his labor of love.
08:15This is a beautiful home.
08:17When you walk in, just an immediate sense of like, wow.
08:21We love to just showcase it.
08:23You gotta go.
08:24Okay, let's go.
08:24The judge is judging our house.
08:27But not only that, it's my work.
08:29So it's a little bit touchy.
08:31He can't pass the buck, really.
08:33Is that the thing you say?
08:33Right, yeah, yeah.
08:34They don't like it.
08:34It's like, well, that contractor really screwed up.
08:37Gotta wear it.
08:38You gotta wear it.
08:39Yeah.
08:39I guess that's kind of why I have to win.
08:43All right.
08:43Let's take a look at this.
08:45Oh, beautiful.
08:45Wow.
08:47Are you nervous?
08:48Yeah, I'm curious.
08:49I'm not nervous.
08:50I'm curious.
08:50Actually, yeah, no.
08:51Me too.
08:52Wow, this is incredible.
08:53That's stunning.
08:54I love the red door.
08:55So far, so good.
08:56I don't know about you guys.
08:57This looks like an old English castle.
08:59Yeah.
09:01Okay.
09:02Even the entranceway with, like, the stained glass windows.
09:05The light fixtures.
09:06I agree.
09:07That's a very nice touch.
09:08Old world charm.
09:09That's for sure.
09:10Old world charm.
09:11I like everything so far, yes.
09:13So far, so good.
09:14Check, check, check.
09:15Yes, loving it.
09:16So far.
09:18Oh, look at this foyer.
09:20This is so typical of these older homes that they have this staircase right in front of the door like
09:25this.
09:26That charm that you see on the outside, they've really, like, transformed it inside the house.
09:30I like this guy.
09:31He's good.
09:32This guy's my favorite.
09:33He's my favorite.
09:33Yeah, he's my favorite.
09:34Oh, my goodness.
09:36Look at this seating area.
09:37That is very casual.
09:40Some of the newer homes, they have such an open concept, but I still really like a formal dining room.
09:46I love the chandeliers.
09:47It mixes in modern and still keeps it rustic.
09:51I still think that this room is missing something.
09:53They could have done something really special on that wall.
09:56It almost looks underwhelming with the hutch.
09:58It could have been definitely a little higher, a little wider.
10:04Wow.
10:06Leathered counter.
10:07You don't see this too often, right?
10:08Oh, you hardly ever see it.
10:10The light fixtures are beautiful.
10:12They really pop and they match the counter.
10:14I'm not sure.
10:15I think these might just be a little bit too much for this area.
10:19She doesn't like them?
10:21You either love it or you hate it.
10:22Yeah.
10:23We like them.
10:24Yeah.
10:24And it's so nice that this is an open area.
10:27I just feel that this is just a lot of dead space.
10:30He is correct.
10:32Because of the proportions of the house, we actually couldn't pull the kitchen out more.
10:36Let's be real.
10:37That's a good area for soccer.
10:38Yeah.
10:39For soccer.
10:39I just realized that they have absolutely no window coverings.
10:44We are in the middle of nowhere.
10:45We don't need curtains.
10:46I can appreciate that nobody's here.
10:49But at the same time, I'd want window coverings.
10:51Why?
10:52He would.
10:52I don't know why he'd want window coverings.
10:54Never.
10:54And also, there's something that he needs to realize is that's the north-facing part of the house,
10:58too, so we don't get naturally a lot of sunlight in that space anyways.
11:02I don't know if you guys noticed.
11:03I actually think this table's a little bit too big for the space.
11:06I think this table maybe should have stopped that around there.
11:08Yeah.
11:09Just to give you that little bit of space to go in and out of the backyard.
11:11Remember when we moved into this place, that's from our actual old house.
11:15That's from our original house.
11:16One thing I would like to see is a little bit more color.
11:20It's very neutral.
11:21Okay.
11:22Mm-hmm.
11:23Yep.
11:24Overall, I think it's a great house.
11:25I really like the house.
11:26Look at all the detail.
11:28This house is definitely a contender.
11:30Ooh.
11:32It's a contender.
11:33It sure is.
11:34But is it the winner?
11:36We'll find out.
11:36I don't know.
11:37Okay.
11:38It's Amir and Mohamed's turn to check out the competition.
11:41Not judging, but judging adjacent.
11:44So it definitely is nice and spacious.
11:48However, I feel like it's missing.
11:51It's not warm and inviting like ours.
11:54It's a little too modern for a heritage home.
11:57It's nice, but this is not heritage.
12:00Whoa.
12:00Shots fired.
12:01Really, it's intended to be a modern take for a modern family, right?
12:05So, yeah, his point is he's not...
12:08Mute.
12:08No, it's not.
12:10It's not wrong, is what I'm saying.
12:12And it's moot.
12:13Moot.
12:15Yeah, I'm not worried about this place.
12:17Our house is more heritage, renovated.
12:21Yeah, it's just a little too cold for me.
12:24Wow!
12:25You know what?
12:26That's...
12:27I love it that he's like competitive like that.
12:30Yeah.
12:30But our house is just a little bit more tight.
12:32You are also the contractor that did our house.
12:34Fair, fair, fair.
12:36And just down the country road, Vanessa and Vito are getting ready for their turn in the hot seat.
12:41We joined the competition to show off our hard work.
12:44We put a lot into the house.
12:46We really like the little features that we've added.
12:48I think they're going to like it.
12:49What do you think?
12:49I think so.
12:50When we first purchased it, it was a Victorian home.
12:53We changed it to a French country.
12:55But when you come inside the house, it's got more of a modern look.
12:58Looks good.
12:59Ready?
12:59Almost.
13:01It's pretty minimalist up here.
13:02Maybe not everybody else's cup of tea.
13:05That's perfect.
13:06But I think in this house, our secret weapon, it's potentially our basement.
13:10It's a bit of a different world.
13:12Our house is fun.
13:13And I feel joy just walking my house.
13:16Let's go.
13:17Grab my purse.
13:19I'm very confident.
13:20This is a home that should win top of the block.
13:23We are a pretty competitive family.
13:25Just a little.
13:26Just a little.
13:27Yeah, it's all about winning.
13:30Pretty cool.
13:31Yeah.
13:31I love the roofs.
13:33You ready?
13:34I'm not ready.
13:35I hope they're nice.
13:36The curb appeal is strong on this one.
13:39Great landscaping.
13:40And I love the little window at the top.
13:42Makes that country modern feel really stand out, right?
13:45It really does.
13:46So far, so good.
13:47Yeah.
13:48Love this front door.
13:50Wow, yes.
13:51Yes, me too.
13:52Ooh, and the flooring.
13:54This is what you call an entrance.
13:56Nice.
13:57But there's always a but.
13:59What's up with this furniture?
14:00I don't think this matches at all.
14:02I agree.
14:03As much as when you walk in, it's a big wow factor, there could be some nicer furnishings.
14:07One of the furnitures is a family piece, so that stays.
14:13Archway's a nice touch, right?
14:14Mm-hmm.
14:14I absolutely love this area of the kitchen.
14:17Our bar area.
14:18You have everything right at your fingertip.
14:21You have your eating space, your family room, big kitchen, your little bar area.
14:26So convenient.
14:27The tones are very neutral, but I love the pops of color.
14:30From the glassware to the magnets and the photos.
14:34It's definitely a chef's kitchen for sure.
14:36High-end appliances.
14:37I even like the fact that they mixed the gold with the black.
14:41Really nice.
14:43Now, there's always that but again.
14:45Uh-oh.
14:45Maybe it's because of the lower ceiling, but I kind of feel a little bit claustrophobic
14:50in the space.
14:51Kind of hoping they wouldn't notice the ceiling.
14:53But I noticed here they have the skylights here overlooking the dining table, and I think
14:57that's quite a nice touch.
14:58It's not really a big eating space.
15:01Like you can't really have 10, 12 people here.
15:03They could have reworked this space a little bit differently where the bar area went over
15:08there, and now that would have given you the extra space to put a big like 12-person
15:12table.
15:13But that would not have worked, because when people are coming in, from the foyer, you're
15:18going to walk into it.
15:20The family room is right off of the kitchen, which is really nice.
15:24I just feel like there's a lot of stuff in this room.
15:27That's one of my favorite things actually about the space.
15:30Yeah, I feel like it shows who lives here.
15:32It shows their personality.
15:33It's a bit cooler in the kitchen, but the family room is family.
15:36You need a room to just lay back and put your feet up.
15:41Yeah, we do that in there.
15:42That's a lot.
15:44One thing I just noticed is the area rug.
15:47It's a little bland, and I find that with an area rug, you can do so much.
15:50Like you can bring so much to a room.
15:51I agree.
15:52I'll agree with that.
15:54Fine.
15:55Well, Vito, looks like you're going carpet shopping.
16:00Oh, here goes the basement.
16:02Ooh!
16:04See, I knew they were a fun family.
16:12Okay.
16:13This is cool.
16:15This, in realtor terms, is called Entertainer's Delight.
16:19Oh, yeah.
16:20That's the idea.
16:21This here almost reminds me of a 1950s bistro.
16:25Yeah.
16:26Mm.
16:27Okay.
16:28Oh!
16:30This is a dream gym.
16:31I would have never expected this room to be as big as it is.
16:35Surprise!
16:36Yeah.
16:37You can really do any type of training that you want.
16:40And I love the way they did the storage in the wall so that there's not just so many things
16:44hanging around on the ground.
16:46One thing that this room struggles with is the ceiling height.
16:49There we go again.
16:50As much as this squat rack, you can still do your pull-ups, it can be challenging for anyone
16:55over 5'10".
16:56Absolutely.
16:57I'm about six feet.
16:58With your skates on?
16:59She's so mean, eh?
17:01For us giants, it's just, it's a tough room.
17:04The upstairs, in comparison to this lower level, it's almost like you're not in the same house.
17:09Yeah.
17:10I was wowed by that initial entrance, but it's lacking continuity.
17:15So honestly, it's going to be a tough decision.
17:16For me, it's a strong contender.
17:19I like her.
17:21I'm really conflicted.
17:22I really am.
17:23I think mostly positive.
17:25They mentioned connection.
17:26And fun.
17:27Yeah, well, fun is obvious.
17:29The white, yeah, it's really nice.
17:31Now we're going to hear from our competition.
17:34All right, this should be interesting.
17:35No worries.
17:36Your opponent, Adam, is only a contractor.
17:39Good thing he's not judging.
17:42Wow.
17:42Oh, cool.
17:43Very nice.
17:45The store is stunning.
17:46Lots of nice natural light.
17:48We can't change eyes.
17:49We can't.
17:50Not allowed.
17:51We had the luxury of being able to do really whatever we wanted.
17:54Didn't have to keep anything, so.
17:56Love these windows.
17:57Mm-hmm.
17:57But it's giving me kind of...
17:58No, they're nice.
17:58They're nice.
17:59Yeah.
17:59No, they're very nice.
18:02Beautiful island.
18:03Not as big as ours.
18:04I am still confident.
18:06I think our house is just a different vibe.
18:09Oh, I'm definitely more nervous, because obviously this is a beautiful house.
18:13Yeah.
18:13This could go either way.
18:15Absolutely.
18:16All right, judges.
18:17Design, function, and added value are your metrics.
18:21Time to pick which house is on top of this block.
18:24It's going to be a tough decision.
18:26It's going to be very tough.
18:27It's going to be really hard.
18:28Okay, Karen and Adams, what did you think?
18:30From the furniture decor to the renovations, everything was just pristine.
18:35The modern touches in the traditional dining room kind of set you up to go into a little
18:40bit more of a modern-style kitchen.
18:42In the kitchen, I just would have liked to see a little bit more coloured.
18:46And there was that really big table with sharp edges.
18:49A little bit awkward for everybody to get around.
18:53What about Amir and Mohamed's house?
18:54I really can't get over that Mediterranean vibe.
18:57I love how they put their personal feeling into that house.
19:00I just felt like I was stepping back in time.
19:02When I walked up to that house, the restored brick, I was impressed.
19:07And they had an ensuite off of the bedroom.
19:10And in an older home, that is unheard of.
19:12Added value right there.
19:13I love the way they had the original doors throughout the house, some of the original flooring.
19:18The only thing is, the layout was really choppy.
19:20I felt it was just a bunch of rooms as opposed to an actual floor plan.
19:24But the curb appeal of the house was very nice.
19:26And you really felt that was like a family home.
19:29Vito and Vanessa's house.
19:31Wow.
19:32Major curb appeal.
19:33You drive up, your jaw is on the floor.
19:35Modern country.
19:36I love the layout.
19:38I also like that when you're sitting in the family room, you're able to see outside into the beautiful pool
19:42and the landscaping.
19:44But I think they could have done a little bit more with the foyer in terms of furniture.
19:48For me, that is a good kitchen.
19:50Even though I thought the island was a little oversized.
19:52I thought that small little eating area just didn't really reflect that grand stature of the home.
19:58But the basement was a showstopper because you had the bar, the gym.
20:02There was just so much to do.
20:04I agree.
20:04These three homes are really rural living at its best.
20:07And it's just so hard to choose.
20:09Tough decision.
20:10I think I've made mine.
20:11Ready?
20:11Me too.
20:11Let's do it.
20:19Our house is very calming and relaxing.
20:22And that's purposely done.
20:24All the colors, earth tones.
20:25Stone house, original.
20:27Like, come on.
20:28You can't beat it.
20:29In terms of our competition, I'm very confident.
20:32It's just two different levels.
20:33From the moment you walk through the front door, it works.
20:36And our house is fun.
20:38There's no other home with the warmth, the history, the heritage.
20:42We got this one.
20:44The votes have been tallied.
20:45Let's see whose home will come out on top of the block.
20:49Feeling confident.
20:50Not cocky.
20:51Not cocky.
20:52No.
20:53Confident.
20:54I am a little bit nervous.
20:55I think it's anybody's game right now.
20:59There's no home better than ours at all.
21:01We got this.
21:02Not at all.
21:11Hello.
21:12How's it going?
21:13How are you?
21:14Everything's wonderful.
21:15We're here to announce that you guys are the winners of Top of the Block.
21:21Thank you very much.
21:22Congratulations.
21:23Congratulations.
21:24Congratulations.
21:24Thank you so much.
21:25This feels awesome.
21:26We're pretty happy.
21:27Yeah, we're excited.
21:28It's validating.
21:29To hear that other people love our house just as much as we love.
21:32Right.
21:32Your house absolutely nailed the design, the function, the added value.
21:37It's just superb.
21:38Yay!
21:40Awesome.
21:41I absolutely love this home.
21:42This one was the perfect balance of that modern, but at the same time, country, rural feel
21:48that we were going for.
21:49It really set the mark for me.
21:50The exterior of the house matched the interior perfectly.
21:54The work, the love, the dedication that they have really put into this house took rural
21:59living to next level.
22:01All three were different, but one had to win.
22:03All three were different, but one had to win.
22:03We're obviously disappointed, but they did a great job with their home, so kudos to them
22:07definitely, and we'll get them next time.
22:11We are bummed because we do feel like our house is top of the block.
22:15My hat goes off to them.
22:16Congratulations.
22:16I still think we're better, though.
22:17It's a testament to Adam's work.
22:19The house reflects a lot of what he's put into this house.
22:22Well, I can't take all the credit.
22:23I'll take most of it, but not all of it.
22:26Not all the credit goes to Adam.
22:27No.
22:27I'm just glad that we came out on top.
Comments