The paint had dried and the tools had been packed away, but the biggest test for The Block contestants was still to come.

After months of renovations, challenges and plenty of drama, all five teams on the Nine reality television series headed into Sunday night’s auctions in Melbourne’s Mount Eliza hoping their hard work would pay off.

But no one could have predicted just how extraordinary the day would be, with Queensland best friends Courtney and Sev making The Block history by walking away with a staggering $1.87 million, including prize money.

“It doesn’t feel real. It’s just the craziest thing. We don’t even know what to say,” Courtney said.

“We’re so grateful, and we could have never imagined that we’d be walking away with this kind of money and the prize pool.”

The finale’s 100 per cent auction clearance rate defied a notoriously difficult Melbourne property market.

However, before bidding could begin, one final decision was required: the auction order.

With the properties competing for a shared pool of buyers, the order in which they went under the hammer could significantly impact how much each team earned.

Adelaide couple Adam and Jolene were up first, with Chantel and Wyatt initially allocated the second spot, Lisa and Rosco third, Courtney and Sev fourth and father-daughter Rick and Tayla last.

Less than an hour before the auctions, Chantel and Wyatt’s real estate agent made a bold pitch.

He suggested two teams swap positions, with Courtney and Sev moving into second place and Chantel and Wyatt dropping to fourth.

Co-host Shelley Craft described it as an “excellent” idea. The two teams agreed and locked in the final auction order.

Adam and Jolene’s home sold for $3.905 million, delivering them a $455,000 profit.

“It changes everything. It means we don’t have to go away from work,” cattle station manager Jolene said through tears.

Courtney and Sev followed with a home featuring the most expensive kitchen in the show’s history. Bidding for their home eventually reached $4.72 million.

The result delivered the Queensland best friends a staggering $1.27 million profit.

That wasn’t the only history-making moment of the finale, with Lisa and Rosco’s house the longest auction in The Block’s history, attracting more than 100 bids over 40 minutes.

The couple, who celebrated the arrival of their second baby a week earlier, eventually sold their home for $4 million, earning a tidy $550,000.

Chantel and Wyatt were nervous, with the first bid on their home – $3.3 million – below the $3.45 million reserve.

A bidder eventually raised their hand at $3.7 million, putting the property on the market.

After some back-and-forth, the Gold Coast couple’s home sold for $3.817 million, delivering them a $367,000 windfall.

Victorian father-daughter duo Rick and Tayla’s home closed out the sales, with the youngest auctioneer in Block history taking charge.

With plenty of bidders still in the room, offers quickly climbed and the property sold for $4.355 million, handing Rick and Tayla a life-changing $905,000 profit.

“We want all contestants to make as much money as they can, so a day like today is a great success,” The Block co-host Scott Cam said.