26 Renovators contestants – the Jacks and Jills of all trades – arrived at the warehouse to be greeted by host Brendan Moar and judges Robyn Holt, Peter Ho and Barry Du Bois. Introduced to six houses from hell, the hopefuls learnt that the first selection would be awarded to the best performer of the first Challenge – which then arrived on the back of a truck. The contestants were given 48 hours to renovate the dilapidated house in question, inside and out. Phil adopted the role of project manager, dividing the troops into their areas of expertise and setting them to work. The house was completed on time, and spectacularly, with the judges giving special mentions to Keenan, Michael, Peter and Natalia. Joanne was judged to have contributed the most overall, giving her first pick of the houses, as she choose the Sixties Suburban.