We struggled for years to get a foot on the property ladder. But now at the age of 29 we have finally done it, all thanks to this trick (and it ISN'T as hard as you think!)

A flood of landlords deserting the buy-to-let market, caused by a mix of higher taxes and tougher regulations, is enabling many first-time buyers to get a foot on the housing ladder after years of being priced out of the market.Falling prices for flats, triggered by a surge of former rental properties up for sale, is proving a game-changer. One-bedroom flats that were unaffordable two years ago are now within their reach.Landlords have been disposing of properties to avoid grappling with the Renters’ Rights Act that was brought in by Labour. The legislation provides safeguards for tenants with stricter rules around collecting rent and evictions.Since it was introduced in May, landlords who serve a ‘ground 1A’ notice on a tenant in order to evict them and sell the property face a 12-month ban on re-letting the property, even if they are unable to find a buyer. If they fail to sell, they could be left with an empty property for a whole year, having no income to cover service charges and other running costs.Some are resorting to dropping prices to get a quick sale. Adam Jennings, head of residential at estate agent Chestertons, says: ‘Landlords looking for a straightforward sale are now generally more receptive to sensible offers. First-time buyers are appealing because they are chain-free, offer greater certainty and speed up transactions.’According to rival estate agent Savills, more than a quarter of a million of former buy-to-let homes were listed for sale in the year to March – 9 per cent more than the previous year.Flats – most typically sought by first-time buyers in cities such as London, Leeds and Manchester – made up a majority of rental homes listed for sale last year. Agent Hamptons says flats remain disproportionately exposed to landlord selling and prices are falling as a result – more than other types of homes.Helen Tinlin and partner Kieran are among those who have managed to buy their first property by taking advantage of the situation. Helen Tinlin says she and her partner needed a garden flat for their dog, a half husky and half golden retriever named Chief Zoe Power, who lives with her partner Alan, says her landlady decided to sell when she heard about the Renters’ Rights Act as she ‘panicked about dealing with all the new red tape’Last year, the couple started to look for a new place to live after being told they would soon be kicked out of their rental property in Herne Hill, south east London.But rather than looking for another property to rent, they started hunting for one to buy.Helen, 29, says: ‘With our dog Chief, half husky and half golden retriever, we needed a garden flat. But the cost of renting a one-bedroom property in the area was out of our reach. Landlords were asking for between £2,000 and £2,500 per month – insane.’So then Helen, who works in marketing, changed tack. She looked into whether the couple could buy a property instead.She says: ‘I started targeting flats being sold off by landlords. Given the excess of properties on the market, I knew we would be in a strong position to negotiate and more likely to find something within our budget range of between £450,000 and £460,000. And, believe me, there was a lot of choice.’Late last year, the couple moved into a one-bedroom flat nearby after putting in an offer just five weeks before.‘The flat was on the market at £475,000, but a previous buyer had made an offer and then dropped out,’ she says. ‘So, I knew we could haggle and we ended up getting it for £460,000.’ The fact that the landlord was selling the other flat in the building meant she was able to buy the freehold – a big benefit.Jonathan Higginson, of Hamptons at Reigate in Surrey, reports he has also seen an increase in tenants buying properties from their landlords.He says: ‘It’s a big benefit to both parties. It’s generally a quick and efficient process, with no viewings and no chain.‘We just completed a sale on a detached four-bedroom house in Reigate in six weeks. The tenants were a family settled in the area who had been trying to find a property with us to buy. We approached their landlord, who agreed to sell.’Stephen Perkins, managing director at Yellow Brick Mortgages, says selling to a tenant can be an ‘ideal’ exit for a landlord. He adds: ‘There’s not an estate agent fee, they continue receiving rent until completion and they have a chain-free buyer who knows the property.’One potential issue to be aware of is that if negotiations with a landlord break down, any future relationship may become horribly strained.If the landlord agrees to sell below market value, then a tenant might be able to negotiate a smaller deposit. Perkins says transactions can sometimes be structured as a ‘concessionary purchase’.He explains: ‘For example, if a property is worth £200,000 and the landlord agrees to sell it to the tenant for £190,000, some lenders may allow that £10,000 concession to effectively provide the tenant’s deposit rather than funding it from savings.’For long-term tenant Zoe Power, not having to move was the biggest benefit of buying her four-bedroom house when her elderly landlady decided to sell up in Halesworth, Suffolk.‘We’d been renting for ten years, loved the area and had a great deal – £650 a month,’ says Zoe, 40, who runs lampshade company Katrina Kingdom and lives with her partner Alan, 50.She adds: ‘When the landlady heard about the Renters’ Rights Act, she panicked about dealing with all the new red tape, so decided to sell.’Zoe was shocked to find that rental rates for a similar property were £1,600 a month.Estate agents valued the property at £260,000 but Zoe offered £225,000 and ended up getting it for £240,000.Being under £250,000, she was spared paying stamp duty and got a mortgage through Yellow Brick.She completes on the house in the next few days, adding: ‘I’m slightly terrified of finally being a homeowner, but having been present for all the boiler and electric checks as a tenant, I know what I’m buying. I hate moving so am happy to be staying put in a house I love.’