HGTV Stars Share Behind the Scenes Details from Season 3 of 'Rock the Block'

Demolition, pranks and design — along with a new season of Rock the Block — are officially underway in the Charleston, South Carolina, lowcountry, and, of course, the friendly rivalries are already in full swing. This year it's family bragging rights (and a street named in their honor) on the line as four HGTV families face off in this epic renovation competition. With just six weeks and a budget of $225,000 to renovate identical properties for the most value, competitors Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb (Unsellable Houses), Dave and Jenny Marrs (Fixer to Fabulous), Keith Bynum and Evan Thomas (Bargain Block) and Egypt Sherrod and Mike Jackson (Married to Real Estate) have their work cut out for them. Luckily, they're bringing their A-game. We caught up with the cast for a sneak peek of the good-natured fun and some behind-the-scenes details. Here's what we learned.

The Competition Affected Each Team Differently

The Marrs are veteran renovators with 17 years of experience under their belt in Bentonville, Arkansas, but getting their footing during long filming days took some adjustments. "The most difficult thing we dealt with was being out of our element!" Jenny shares. "We didn't have our trusted sub-contractors to call. Dave didn't have his workshop. I didn't have my local sources. It was a really tough experience, but we had fun getting creative and finding solutions!"

As for former collegiate lacrosse player, Mike, he felt right at home with friendly competition, but even he was caught off guard by his wife Egypt's "intense" competitive nature. "So, here's my disclaimer," Egypt shares. "I went in thinking 'I want to make some new friends, do some great designs, and have a little fun.' But after the first round of competition, it was gloves off! I was very intense after that." Mike jokes, "Intense doesn't begin to describe it!"

Partners Keith and Evan leaned on one another to get through the new experience of being critiqued. "The competition aspect of it was definitely the hardest part for us," Evan says. "But we had each other to pull us through the difficult moments and long nights, and overall it was a really fun experience — sort of like summer camp."

Twin sisters Lyndsay and Leslie relied on their day-one friendship to get them through the tough competition. "Leslie and I are incredibly close, and I do think it gives us an edge working together," Lyndsay shares. "We understand each other and absolutely complement one another’s strengths. Having a partnership like ours for the last 40 years came in handy while working under such stress."

But, Mike and Egypt Loved It

"I can see us doing more competitions together," Mike says. "We had no idea how much blood, sweat and tears really went into the competition. Now that we've experienced it firsthand for ourselves, we feel like we can compete on any competition show. This was by far the toughest experience in renovation and design yet."

One Duo Blew Everyone Away with Their Creativity

Egypt calls them "a quiet storm." Lyndsay and Leslie were blown away by their designs. They even gave ace craftsman Dave a run for his furniture-making money. "I was constantly worried about Keith and Evan," Dave says. "I came into the competition thinking I would win by building furniture. But I saw Keith and Evan doing the same thing. They are creative building masters!"

The Motor City renovators share they became out-of-the-box designers because of their tight Bargain Block budgets. "We have to really utilize our resources in Detroit to make our renos happen," Keith says. "I think we are able to use our artistic side to deliver a house that is totally unique."

Dave Marrs Is the Ultimate Prankster

No one was safe from Dave Marrs' hijinks. But take it from him — it was all in good fun. "I was kind of known as the prankster of the competition," he says. "This competition was full of hard, stressful situations that definitely needed to be lightened up. So, I took it upon myself to do that."

They're So Proud of Their Renos

"I think we are most excited for people to see the living room and main bedroom," Evan shares. "We really went all out on those spaces, which was really fun, and we were also able to put in a lot of artistic flair."

As for Lyndsay and Leslie, the rooms that had them "obsessed" include: "the main bedroom and the outdoor space. We ended up being incredibly proud of the way both spaces turned out."

They All Fell In Love With Charleston

"We had never been to Charleston," Keith says. "But it was such a great city to film in. There were so many fun and wonderful things to do." The historic charm, the good vibes, the food scene — what's not to like? A great big HGTV family vacation in the Lowcountry could be on the horizon.

Season 3 of Rock the Block airs Monday nights on HGTV at 9/8c. Interact on social media using #RocktheBlock and follow the stars’ reno journeys on Instagram at @egyptsherrod, @djfadelf, @1leslie_davis, @thelyndsaylamb, @dave.marrs, @jennymarrs, @keithbynum_ and @emuralit.