The Block NZ's Rachel Martin: 'The neighbours thought we'd divorced'

The Block NZ's Rachel Martin with her partner Graeme and their three children. Photo / Maree Wilkinson

When many New Zealanders were queuing up at supermarkets to bulk-buy toilet roll before the country went into lockdown, The Block NZ's Rachel Martin was pushing her trolley down the eerily empty aisles of Bunnings, stocking up on nails, plywood, tools and anything else she might need for weeks of home isolation.

Renovation is not just a passion but a lifestyle for army corporal-turned-real estate agent Rach, 42, and her partner, former army officer Graeme, 46, who have been renovating houses together for 21 years.

Their three children, Jayde, 18, Quin, 16, and Liam, 15, grew up in "building sites" as the family moved every three to four years. Rach laughs, "We have old photos of Jayde as a toddler playing with a box of nails and Graeme made mini workstations for the boys. The kids know how hard we worked to get where we are now."

The family's palatial beachside home in Papamoa, complete with a swimming pool and designer living spaces, is a far cry from the small Levin house Rach grew up in with her five siblings – and it's the result of hard building work, she explains.

Number-one fans! The family is addicted to the reno show. Photo / Maree Wilkinson

"I come from a humble background. While our military pay was not great, we realised early on that we had a flair for renovation. The first house we bought was so run down. When I told my mother the vision I had for it, she said, 'You'll never do all that.' But we did! To this day, Mum has never doubted that I'll achieve whatever I set out to do."

Rach's eye for unique design that she showcases on The Block is apparent throughout her home. In the high ceilings, she added detailing with white joinery and one of the bathrooms has herringbone tiles – an idea Graeme baulked at initially, but he now admits it's his favourite room.

With DIY parents, it's not surprising that Rach's daughter Jayde is a self-confessed "Blockaholic", who encouraged her mother to enter the hit Three reality series. She tells Woman's Day, "Mum has a real eye for design. I relate to The Block because it's like everyday life for me. I watched season one four times and have followed every season since. This season, I've got my boyfriend and all his family into it too!"

Rachel and Graeme with their kids (from left) Liam, Jayde and Quin. Photo / Maree Wilkinson

Rach has been away from her family, filming in Auckland, for 12 weeks. Graeme laughs, "Before the teams were revealed, the neighbours must have thought we had got divorced! But the kids coped amazingly. They are very independent, which comes from growing up in what was often a building site. You wouldn't notice the boys when they're here anyway as they're in their rooms, but Jayde really stepped up doing all their sports drop-offs. It's perfect – she's 18, she can drive and she can even get my beer!

"We might have let the cleaning slide a bit, though we made sure we were fed, healthy and happy. We didn't miss Rachel's cooking – she hates doing it. Quin made us some interesting dishes. I'm not sure what they were, but they all had mince in. Jayde took over the kitchen after that!"

Managing her two teen brothers was a breeze for Jayde, who is in her first year of teacher training at the University of Waikato, and her educational skills also came in handy when it came to schooling the family on everything about The Block.

"She was our Block Wikipedia – the font of all knowledge, explaining to us what was going on with the scoring," says Graeme. Jayde adds, "We did get annoyed with some of the judges' comments. There were times when we were shouting at the television, 'What are you talking about?' Luckily they couldn't hear us."

Rach and Graeme have been on the tools for 21 years - no wonder pup Lulu looks exhausted! Photo / Maree Wilkinson

"Yes, we couldn't believe it when they criticised her for putting frosted glass on the living room floor," continues Graeme. "It seemed obvious to us that if she had put clear glass in, everyone having dinner downstairs would see up people's skirts upstairs."

As for comments that Rach was overspending, the family knew her strategy was to create a house to appeal to buyers at auction. From her real estate experience, she knows that while everyone has different design aesthetics, it's kitchens, living spaces and bathrooms that sell houses.

"We did spend on the fireplace, but that's a showstopper," says Rach. "As a mum, I know what doesn't appeal, so when one of the teams considered putting a bath in the master en suite, I thought it was a mistake. No one wants kids making a mess in their bathroom."

Rach – who is of Ngāti Raukawa descent – also knew the trick to get the most out of her tradies was by fuelling their stomachs. She grins, "Connie [King, her Team Purple partner] and I only had $150 a week to spend on our food, but I'd buy energy drinks and food for the builders to keep them going hard."

The Bay of Plenty real estate queen welcomes us into her dream home and introduces her beloved whānau. Photo / Maree Wilkinson

Rach insists she gets on with everyone on The Block, but she admits she did have some disagreements with Dylan Crawford, the Greymouth-born banker from Team Yellow. "He's quite opinionated and did things I didn't think were fair sometimes."

To stay calm, Rach spent her Sundays off getting facials and massages. She smiles, "It sounds bougie, but it was my way of handling stress!"

As for the big question about who will be the big winner at the live auction in early September, Graeme is pragmatic. "It's not the Olympics where the fastest runner wins the race," he says. "It's subjective what buyers are looking for. Anything can happen in an auction."

However, Rach is more optimistic. While she has her eyes on the S100,000 grand prize, the kudos of being crowned champion of The Block NZ is more important to her.

"I didn't come for the money or to get a career as an interior designer. For me, The Block is my challenge to create something that people agree is the very best. I'm in it to win it."