Millions of Australians are expected to tune into the finale of The Block on Sunday night to find out which couple will be crowned the winner. And it’s shaping up to be a tight race.

But if you can’t wait that long, why not indulge in a little pre-auction speculation?

We asked the experts to share who they were tipping to win and why.

Nicole Jacobs

Director and buyers’ advocate at Nicole Jacobs Property. Nicole has previously bought several Block properties for clients, including three out of five houses last season.

This year’s series of The Block at The Gatwick St Kilda created interest from buyers before the show even aired. The history of the building and the transformation of St Kilda seem to have captivated buyers from local surrounding suburbs but also from well established suburbs like Camberwell and Malvern and as expected, interstate.

Every apartment and both penthouses have something unique attracting specific buyers. From the four metre ceilings, city views from the large terraces and the New York style warehouse feel of the penthouses, to the sophistication of coffered ceilings and the insane kitchen of Kerrie and Spence’s apartment. Then with Courtney and Hans we have the largest main bedroom and ensuite walk in robe combination I have seen since Ingles Street Port Melbourne. And who can forget the gold bathtub in Hayden and Sara’s apartment?

Establishing a winner this year is made difficult because buyers have clear attractions to one or another. I am going to stick to Domain’s cover shot and back Alice Stolz’s prediction with a Norm and Jess win this year. I believe it will however be tight with Bianca and Carla’s apartment as buyers wrestle with the attraction of the city views. The dark horse in all this is the popularity of Kerrie and Spence’s sophisticated apartment.

At the end of the day, buyer depth and the reserves will largely determine the winners too. Five properties going head to head in one building on one day is never an easy task!

Greville Pabst

Chief executive at WBP Group. Greville has been a long-time valuer, buyers’ advocate and consultant on The Block. He purchased the winning house on The Block last season on behalf of comedian Dave Hughes.

This season we’re experiencing two separate competitions at The Block, one between the penthouses, apartments 4 and 5, and a second one between the apartments within the “original Gatwick”, apartments 1, 2 and 3.

The winner of this season will be determined by the reserve prices, which will be disclosed on Friday, and the auction order.

My expectations are that both penthouses will perform very well with their soaring 4-metre-high ceilings, which add a very attractive wow factor, and also their unique style/design. I’m predicting the front runners to be Bianca and Carla, with their New York loft feel apartment and panoramic ocean to city views.

The couple I’m predicting will do the best from the “original Gatwick” is Kerrie and Spence. Their extravagant kitchen with over $100,000 in appliances is an entertainer’s dream, and that alone can get them the win. However, the coffered ceiling is a polarising aspect; buyers will either love or hate it.

As we all know, anything can happen on auction day, but I believe the overall winner will be Bianca and Carla.

View the five Gatwick apartments for sale:

Frank Valentic

Director and buyers’ advocate at Advantage Property Consulting. Frank previously bought several Block properties for clients.

Our buyers are telling me that it will be a two-way horse race between Bianca and Carla and Kerrie and Spence who are the surprise packets of this series. One big factor they may have in their favour is a much lower reserve.

At the start of the season, they were painted as having the worst apartment because it was on the lowest level with no views. Therefore, they were given the safe with over $150,000 worth of vouchers including Gaggenau appliances and a $50,000 sub-zero fridge. I think that will definitely help give them a great opportunity of taking out this series.

But Bianca and Carla’s penthouse apartment has the best position on the Block, being the top floor penthouse at the back with a sunny north facing orientation and spectacular city and tree top views. So I think it will be a close two way horse race but my gut feeling from buyer’s feedback is that Spence and Kerrie may just get over the line.

Buyers are then saying that Norm and Jess won’t be far behind, with Sara and Hayden next and then followed by Courtney and Hans. My buyer feedback has been spot on with the last four series where I have picked the top two so it will be interesting to see if they are right again this time!

Adrian Lowe

Domain national news editor and Domain’s weekly Block recapper

Position, position, position. While kitchens sell homes, position is everything in an apartment block and for this reason, Bianca and Carla are in the box seat. The views from their balcony are the best in the building and their styling and choices of fittings befit a mid-30s DINKs buyer.

But with the property market cooling, the question remains whether that sort of buyer will be prepared to pay on the day, or would rather wait to see what else is around.

So I am somewhat hedging my bets. In this market, you cannot discount the purchasing power of a Melbourne downsizer. And for this reason, I’m expecting Kerrie and Spence to really challenge Bianca and Carla. Their lower position in the building will appeal to an older buyer and could easily fit a couple and the grandkids when they come to visit. Kerrie and Spence’s kitchen is also a massive drawcard to a buyer who wants to spend evenings at home, either alone or entertaining.

Bianca and Carla’s $10,000 reserve discount will stand them in good stead given the competition is really split in two: penthouses v old Gatwick, and I expect that a smaller buyer pool for the penthouses than we have seen in previous years may affect whether there is competitive bidding at the top level. It’s important to note that the last time The Block was an apartment project was in 2016, when the local property market was mid-boom. I am backing Bianca and Carla to narrowly pip Kerrie and Spence.