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This year’s season of The Block is well and truly on the way.

The Channel 9 favourite began filming late last month, with all signs pointing to another blockbuster year of renovations.

Ahead of the show airing later this year, here’s everything we know so far.

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WHERE IS THE BLOCK BEING FILMED?

This year’s season of The Block will be based in Melbourne’s St Kilda again, with teams tasked with renovating a site estimated to be twice the size of last year’s project The Gatwick Hotel.

Five teams will renovate the notorious Grey Street Oslo Hotel, a budget guesthouse where rooms last year were being rented out starting from just $44 per night.

Nine purchased the three storey property for $10.8 million and it will be transformed into luxury apartments.

WHO ARE THE CONTESTANTS?

Nine is yet to confirm who will be competing on this year’s The Block, however, photographs taken last month show contestants arriving at the Oslo Hotel.

One of them is thought to be comedian Andy Saunders, the Herald Sun reports.

Fan Instagram account The Blockinator have also identified experienced renovators Mitch Edwards and Mark McKie as contestants.

The couple own their own Sydney interior design and house flipping company, as well as previously starring on Channel 7 reno show Aussie Property Flippers.

WHO ARE THE JUDGES?

Despite rumours Nine was considering changing The Block’s judges, Shaynna Blaze, Darren Palmer and Neale Whittaker have all confirmed they are returning this year.

The trio have shared social media posts of them at the Oslo Hotel as construction gets underway.

WHAT CAN VIEWERS EXPECT THIS SEASON?

This year’s The Block looks set to be the most dramatic yet, with a drop in property prices meaning the days of couples taking home six figure sums on auction day could be behind them.

Contestants will still have only a week to renovate each room despite each apartment being the combined size of the Gatwick and Elsternwick properties from the last two seasons.

With a budget of just $220,000 per couple, Blaze has predicted there could be unfinished rooms this season.

“This season’s contestants are going to have to make a lot of compromises because there won’t be the funds to stretch the whole way through,” Blaze told the Herald Sun.

“If they’re not careful with their money we’re probably going to see a lot of unfinished rooms — that is a fact.”

The Block will air on Channel 9 later this year.