Kyal Demmrich on the trials and triumphs of The Block

There’s less than a week until the four apartments of The Block: Fans v Faves go up for auction, and fan team Kyal and Kara are in great shape to take out the big prize. With experience and some serious dollars on their side, the so-called Super Ks have carried out a veritable blitzkrieg on their Block competitors.

This week, the couple added their rooftop terrace to their room win list, which stretches longer than that of any other team this season. Their huge terrace not only boasted the best fittings, including a mirrored splashback and granite benchtops in their outdoor kitchen, but also city views. 

According to carpenter Kyal, the terrace is the highlight of their apartment.

“We’re probably the most proud of our rooftop terrace,” said Kyal. “That’s part of the reason we picked that apartment, just because it had that aspect and that view. We worked really hard on it and have done something really amazing, and hopefully that’s reflected on the auction day.”

With a slightly smaller downstairs living area than the other teams, the Ks have thrown all they have into the upstairs terrace space, and it shows. On open for inspection day, it was the only terrace that didn’t feel crowded despite the masses of spectators, with ample cooking, dining and living space.

Kyal says that if the couple had their time again, they wouldn’t change any of their decisions.

“We often ask ourselves what we would do if we had the opportunity to pick another apartment,” he said. “But we keep coming back to that aspect and that view. The downstairs terrace has really amazing arched windows at the front – we’re so glad we picked that apartment.”

Thanks to a killer run throughout the competition, the Ks have managed to collect a tidy sum of prize money which was poured back into their property.

“We’re so proud of what we’ve achieved, and received a lot of good feedback, especially with the finishes. We’ve obviously pumped an extra $50,000 into our apartment, so we’ve been able to get high quality furnishings, high quality appliances,” said Kyal.

But it wasn’t just the extra money that put Kyal and Kara ahead of the pack. As a carpenter, Kyal brought his construction experience to the competition which, along with Kara’s formidable design chops, gave the team an edge.

“Being a carpenter helped us out a lot, especially with time. The other teams would have to stop when their builders went home, but we could keep going round the clock if we needed to,” said Kyal.

Nevertheless, it wasn’t all easy for the team, who struggled along with all the other contestants with The Block’s punishing schedule.

“The toughest week was the week we did the loungeroom/dining room hallway and virtually completed the entire downstairs, and then did the upstairs. That was back to back. So finishing off the interiors was the toughest thing. Especially with the stairwell - we had all the timber work going up the stairwell, going 10 metres high.”

As for life after Tuesday’s auction, the couple are planning to launch a boutique renovations company called Diverse Design and Construct. Kyal says that the couple are considering a move from their home by Tuggerah Lakes on New South Wale’s central coast.

“We haven’t thought about it too seriously, but our long term goal is to get ourselves as close to the coast as possible. So we’re thinking about selling, maybe in the next 12 months.

“Obviously we’ve put so much work into renovating our own home though, so it might be tough to see that go.”

Kyal and Kara’s apartment at 2/47 O’Grady Street, Albert Park will be selling at auction on Tuesday April 8.