The fourth season of Australian reality television series House Rules, also known as Crowded House Rules, began airing on 27 April 2016. The series is produced by the team who created the Seven reality show My Kitchen Rules and is hosted by Johanna Griggs.
Season 4 of the program was officially announced in 2014 and was originally due to air in late 2015, however the Seven Network delayed the season until 2016 due to an overload of renovation shows that had aired in 2015 as well as lower than expected ratings for the third season.
This season of House Rules will consist of new teams renovating each other's homes and further challenges for the ultimate prize of their mortgage being paid off.
Contestant Teams
This season of House Rules introduced six new teams. All teams are from different states in Australia
Team Ages House Relationship Mortgage 1 Luke & Cody Cook 23 Dalby, QLD Country Twin Brothers $120,000 2 Claire Lintzeris & Hagan Rice 28 & 27 Mornington Peninsula, VIC Hairdresser & Plumber $269,000 3 Fil & Joe 45 & 48 Melbourne, VIC Experienced Renovators $568,000 4 Brooke & Michelle Fogden 43 & 42 Adelaide, SA Landscaper & Graphic Designer $426,000 5 Nancy & Daniel Frilay Sydney, NSW Reno Rookies $500,000 6 Rose & Rob Plater 29 & 41 Rockingham, WA Navy Parents $342,000
Elimination history + Teams' progress through the competitionPhase: Interior Renovation (Phase 1) Phase 2 VIC SA NSW QLD WA VIC Round Total Round Total Team Scores Total Scores Total Final Results Luke & Cody 26 23 17 22301st(118) 2nd(16) 17 161st(33)1st(17)17 Winners Claire & Hagan 16 21 20 30 18 5th(105) 3rd(15) 15 13 3rd(28) 2nd(15)19 Runners-up Joe 16 22 22 28282nd(116) 4th(13) 16 14 2nd(30) 3rd(13) colspan=2 (Episode 34) Michelle 21 16 25 25233rd(110) 1st(17) 13 13 4th(26) colspan=3 (Episode 30) Nancy & Daniel 18 19 23 23244th(107) 5th(12) colspan=6 (Episode 26) Rose & Rob 22 15 23 24 196th(103) colspan=7 (Episode 24)
Competition details
Phase 1: Interior Renovation The six teams travel around the country to completely renovate each other's home. Every week, one team hands over their house to their opponents for a complete interior transformation. A set of rules from the owners are given to the teams known as the 'House rules' which need to be followed to gain high scores from the judges and the homeowner team.
Victoria: Fil & Joe Episodes 1 to 4 Airdate — 27 April to 1 May 2016 Description — Fil & Joe from Melbourne, Victoria are the first team to hand over their keys for renovation. Two of the bedrooms belong to their children Jayden, 18 years old and Celeste, 14 years old.
+ Renovation 1 Melbourne, Victoria House Rules Rule 1 Give us Hamptons - "Revenge" style Rule 2 Be bold: go black & white in the kitchen Rule 3 Glam up our master suite with Hollywood Deco Rule 4 Create a laidback teenage hideaway Rule 5 Go OTT with a five star wet room Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 9 9 8 26 / 30 8 7 7 22 22 / 30 7 7 7 21 21 / 30 6 6 6 18 18 / 30 5 5 6 16 / 30 colspan="5" —
South Australia: Brooke & Michelle Episodes 5 to 8 Airdate — 2 to 8 May 2016 Description — Teams head to Brooke & Michelle's home in Adelaide, South Australia for the second renovation. One of the bedrooms will be shared for their children Addison, eight years old and Tildie, five years old. Previous winner's advantage: Luke & Cody — They got to decide on which zone they wanted to renovate Previous loser's disadvantage: Claire & Hagan — Camping in a tent during the renovation.
+ Renovation 2 Adelaide, South Australia House Rules Rule 1 Play up the elegant charm of our period home Rule 2 Add a funky, modern living area Rule 3 Give Michelle a tough luxe workspace with guest bed Rule 4 Surprise with a playful piece in every zone Rule 5 Make our bathroom a turquoise delight Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 9 7 7 49 / 60 8 6 7 21 37 / 60 7 6 6 19 37 / 60 6 5 5 16 16 / 30 5 5 5 37 / 60 colspan="5" 21 / 30
New South Wales: Nancy & Daniel Episodes 9 to 12 Airdate — 9 to 15 May 2016 Description — Teams head to South Sydney, New South Wales to completely renovate Nancy & Daniel's family home. Two of the bedrooms belong to their children; six year old, Jonathan and three year old, Sophia. Previous winner's advantage: Luke & Cody — Decide to keep the zone they were allocated or swap zones with another team. They decided to keep their zone Previous loser's disadvantage: Rose & Rob — Camping in a tent during the renovation.
+ Renovation 3 South Sydney, New South Wales House Rules Rule 1 Create an A-Lister's entertainer Rule 2 Style it coastal chic Rule 3 Wash the living room with a wave of colour Rule 4 Float some timber into the bathrooms Rule 5 Give our master suite a shot of pizzazz Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 9 7 7 61 / 90 7 7 8 22 38/ 60 8 6 6 20 57 / 90 6 5 6 17 66 / 90 5 5 6 37 / 60 colspan="5" 37 / 60
Queensland: Luke & Cody Episodes 13 to 16 Airdate — 16 to 22 May 2016 Description — Teams head to Dalby, Queensland to renovate Luke & Cody's 1940s home. As their home is more than 200 km away from Brisbane, the teams only have limited time to purchase their items. Previous winner's advantage: Rose & Rob — Allocating the zones for themselves and all other teams. Previous loser's disadvantage: Brooke & Michelle — Camping in a tent during the renovation.
+ Renovation 4 Dalby, Queensland House Rules Rule 1 Add city shine to our country gem Rule 2 Give luke a classic gentleman's master suite Rule 3 Channel George Clooney in Cody's room Rule 4 Bloke it up with blue and put stone in every zone Rule 5 Throw in a porch to yarn on Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 10 10 10 87 / 120 8 9 8 25 62 / 90 7 8 9 24 84 / 120 9 7 7 23 60 / 90 6 7 9 60 / 90 colspan="5" 66 / 90
Notes As Luke & Cody's birthday landed on the day of their House Reveal, Carolyn asked all the teams to work together to build a new back deck for the boys as a special birthday gift, this was however a non scored zone
Western Australia: Rose & Rob Episodes 17 to 20 Airdate — 23 to 29 May 2016 Description — Teams head to Rockingham, Western Australia to completely transform Rose & Rob's home. Two of the bedrooms belong to their three children; seven year old, David, six year old, Sam & three year old, Teddy Previous winner's advantage: Claire & Hagan — They got to decide on which zone they wanted to renovate & five different fabrics with one to be given to each team to incorporate in their room Previous loser's disadvantage: Fil & Joe — Camping in a tent during the renovation.
+ Renovation 5 Rockingham, Western Australia House Rules Rule 1 Style our home retro revival Rule 2 Splash around parika, teal & mustard Rule 3 Show off our art in the living room Rule 4 Go 'Shagadelic' in the bathroom Rule 5 No white walls or wallpaper Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 9 9 10 88 / 120 7 9 9 25 87 / 120 8 8 7 23 83 / 120 6 8 8 22 88 / 120 5 7 6 105 / 150 colspan="5" 84 / 120
Victoria: Claire & Hagan Episodes 21 to 24 Airdate — 30 May to 5 June 2016 Description — Teams head to Peninsula, Victoria to renovate Claire & Hagan's home for the final interior renovation. In a House Rules first the teams added another level to Claire & Hagan's small house. Previous winner's advantage: Fil & Joe — Cash bonus of $5000. Previous loser's disadvantage: Luke & Cody — Although Claire and Hagan were the lowest scoring team in the previous week, they do not participate in the renovation of their own home, therefore the loser's tent was given to the second-lowest scorer.
+ Renovation 6 Peninsula, Victoria House Rules Rule 1 Stamp it 'warehouse raw' Rule 2 Choose an industrial palette Rule 3 Break it up with bold graphics & bites of colour Rule 4 Upcycle materials from the Peninsula Rule 5 Squeeze in a play space Team Zone Scores Homeowner Joe Wendy 10 10 10 1st (118) 9 9 10 28 2nd (116) 8 8 7 23 3rd (110) 7 9 8 24 4th (107) colspan="5" 5th (105) 6 7 6 6th (103)
Phase 2
24 Hour Fix-Up
Episode 25 & 26 Airdate — 6 & 7 June 2016 Description — All teams head back to their own homes and must fix and redo one of the zones in 24 hours. Teams need to recreate the space/s to reflect their own style and also to impress the judges. All teams received the same set of five rules for the challenge. The lowest scoring team will be eliminated.
+ Renovation summary 24 Hour Fix-Up House Rules Rule 1 Choose one zone Rule 2 Rework it in your style Rule 3 Get creative with DIY Rule 4 Your budget is $5000 Rule 5 Stay together at all times Team Zone Scores Joe Wendy 8 9 8 8 16 7 8 15 6 7 13 6 6
Phase 3: Gardens & Exteriors
The top 4 teams are challenged to transform the exteriors and gardens of each other's homes. Two teams are allocated to a home (that do not belong to them) and must renovate either the front or back yards, as well as improving the house exterior. They are held over two rounds, covering all houses of the current teams. After both rounds are complete, the lowest scoring team is eliminated.
Round 1
Episodes 27 & 28 Airdate — 12 & 13 June Description — In round 1 of the exterior renovations, the 4 remaining teams head to Adelaide and Mornington Peninsula to transform the gardens and house exterior in 4 Days. Teams are allocated to the front or back yard of either Brooke & Michelle's or Claire & Hagan's house.
+ Renovation summary Round 1 House Rules Brooke & Michelle's (SA) Claire & Hagan's (VIC) Rule 1 Style our garden coastal cool Rule 2 Rule 3 Add a living pantry for Brooke the cook Feature a fireplace and pop-up kitchen Rule 4 Rule 5 Choose your zone: front or back Choose your zone: left or right
Team House Zone Scores Joe Wendy (Adelaide, SA) 8 9 17 / 20 7 8 15 15 / 20 8 8 16 16 / 20 6 7 13 / 20
Notes As Claire & Hagan's house doesn't have a front yard, the back yard was split into 2, a right side and a left side
Round 2
Episodes 29 & 30 Airdate — 14 & 19 June Description — In round 2 of the exterior renovations, the 4 remaining teams head to Dalby and Melbourne to transform the gardens and house exterior in 4 Days. Teams are allocated to the front or back yard of either Luke & Cody's or Fil & Joe's house. The lowest scoring team overall is eliminated.
+ Renovation summary Round 2 House Rules Luke & Cody's (QLD) Fil & Joe's (VIC) Rule 1 Plant a no-fuss modern country garden Rule 2 Tie it together with timber Create a classy water feature out front Rule 3 Warm our hearts with a family fire pit Rule 4 Rule 5 Choose your zone: Front or Back
Team House Zone Scores Joe Wendy (Dalby, QLD) 77 14 2nd (30) 76 3rd (28) 8 8 1st (33) 67 4th (26)
Phase 4
Charity Unit Makeover
Episodes 31 to 34 Airdate — 20 to 27 June Description — The 3 remaining teams have 7 days to renovate 3 units in an apartment building operated by The Leukaemia Foundation where patients from the country stay during treatment. Each team is given a zone with rooms from all 3 units & a garden area. Each unit has a design brief, Scandi Chic (Unit 1), Balinese Resort (Unit 2) & Manhattan Apartment (Unit 3). The lowest scoring team will be eliminated & the top 2 will advance into the live Grand Final.
+ Renovation summary Charity Unit Makeover House Rules Rule 1 Create a home away from home Rule 2 Choose a warm and cheerful palette Rule 3 Style it relaxed and comfy Rule 4 Rule 5 Install clever storage and a desk nook Team Zone Scores Joe Wendy 8 9 7 8 15 6 7
Notes The room(s) was in Unit 1 The room(s) was in Unit 2 The room(s) was in Unit 3
Grand Final
Spa Area and Australia's Vote
Episode 35 Airdate — 3 July 2016