Margaret Thatcher's controversial Right to Buy scheme made the homeowning dream a reality for more than 55,000 West Midlands families.

The scheme, which began in the 1980s, has provided council tenants with a chance to get a discounted foot on the property ladder over the past two decades, although recent legislation has made it more difficult to benefit from it.

But those who have turned from council tenant to homeowner might also have had their dreams tempered, if not shattered in some cases, by the high maintenance costs.

According to the estate agency Connells, unexpected maintenance and repair costs means some former local authority housing stock costs up to 48 per cent more to repair than privately-owned properties.

Spokesman Ross Bowen said: "Although there is a lot of good quality social housing stock around, some - particularly that built in the 1960s and 1970s - is inferior. We are seeing the consequences of that today with higher levels of defects."

Since 2005, the Right to Buy scheme has become increasingly difficult to take advantage of, with tenants now needing to have been resident in the same property for at least five years, instead of the previous three.

In the West Midlands, after five years tenancy, buyers can expect an average 30 per cent discount on their home. In contrast, London tenants receive an average 14 per cent discount.