"They felt they were a cut above general markets, " says Graham Wilson, chief executive of the National Association of British Market Authorities (Nabma), which represents mainly localauthority markets.
The restriction on those who could buy certain ex-local authority properties typically takes between 10% and 20% off the full market value of an ex-council home and allows those who have lived or worked in an area for three years or more, more chance to get on the housing ladder.