As we are not a housing association - but still have to comply with government legislation on Affordable Housing - we have had to be innovative in our legal sales structure. So we offer 999 year leases with a small ground rent - but sell our houses at cost.

They are normally likely to show purchasers a saving in their monthly outgoings, even taking into account the ground rent of £20pw over the rent on a private property in the area. Major lenders accept this system, and the only obligation which is different from a freehold sale is that the property cannot be sold in the future for a higher percentage of open market price than applied on the first sale of the house. That figure is accessed by two independent chartered surveyors.