House Rules: teams run into issues

The last episode of House Rules was certainly a nail-biter, as popular South Australian team Ryan and Marlee were eliminated. Unfortunately, a great deck wasn't enough to sway the judges, as the scores tumbled down thanks to the oversized bar and lime green street art wall.

In the latest episode, the three remaining teams transformed a charity house - putting their differences aside to make sure the project was completed. But first, let's take a brief look at the episode on Sunday.

Sunday troubles

The episode on Sunday night presented a problem many home DIY enthusiasts will be familiar with - finding a good source of wood for construction. In this case, the teams were looking for reclaimed timber. Bronik and Corrine were hunting for reclaimed timber in order to line their corrugated iron ceiling in the bathroom, but came up trumps trying to find a good source of the wood.

Queenslanders Ben and Danielle managed to source rustic timber from a timber yard, but Ben tipped off Bronik and Corrine to the yard.

"The whispers around town are that you might have got onto some hard wood," Bronik mentioned to Ben.

This issue really shows the value of taking the time to find a good source of materials prior to any large project. Likewise, it's also a good idea to ensure you've got the right equipment on hand.

Monday mayhem

On Monday, Ben and Danielle pushed ahead with a feature wall, with Ben nailing some excellent wooden cladding to the wall. However, this caused a ruckus when Victorian contestant Corinne accused Danielle of stealing the plywood feature wall idea.

Most teams have used wooden feature walls at some point in this tense competition, with Matt and Cassie's home a stand out example. The troubles weren't over, however.

Danielle confronted Steve and Tiana about another design issue, which she claimed the New South Wales team had stolen. Earlier, Danielle had allowed them to use a black sink as she no longer needed it (a tradesman had cut the kitchen bench to size). Then, when she found out the bench hadn't actually been cut she said they couldn't use it.

Transforming the charity house

The star of this episode was arguably the charity house, as it underwent some truly massive changes. The teams had to put aside their differences (and there are quite a few) to finish the house together.

One of the bigger jobs to tackle, the charity house is split into three zones.

• Zone one includes the carer's residence, the first bedroom and the lounge and entryway.
• Zone two includes the fourth bedroom, sitting room, hallway, shower, study nook and kitchen.
• Zone three, the final zone, includes bedrooms two and three, the bathroom, office and dining room.

Ben and Danielle got to work with their planning, while Steve and Tiana took a good look at the amount of wood needed in the kitchen. Bronik and Corinne figured out an interesting approach for the walls in one of the rooms, opting for signage wallpaper. 

It's now certainly one of the better looking houses in the competition, thanks to the hard work put in by the teams.

The final showdown

It's now on to the biggest house reveal so far, and the true test for our teams. It's going to be a real challenge, especially as everyone is now extremely driven. The House Rules teams continue to barrel towards the grand final.

The real question is: who will be able to impress the judges enough to take home the mortgage free future prize?