When Nick Plant, 57, returned to the UK after a period abroad with his wife and two sons, now aged 19 and 21, he struggled to save a deposit to buy a home for his family.

“Particularly at my age, the opportunity to get back on the housing ladder was difficult. I wanted a home where the kids could grow up.”

The family rented in Sherborne, Dorset, for six years until 2016, when Mr Plant’s mother spotted an advert for Rentplus in the local newspaper.

The “try before you buy” scheme allows tenants to pay below market rent for an agreed period of either five, 10 or 15 years, before going on to buy the new-build property they are living in.

At the point of purchase, they will also receive 10 per cent of the value of the home and can put this towards a deposit, along with anything they’

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