Margaret Thatcher: History of one of the first Right To Buy council houses The couple had moved into the Greater London Council-owned house when they were married in 1962, but with a daughter Leisa and twin boys Martin and Vernon to provide for, their dream of becoming home owners seemed an impossibility. All that changed however in 1980 with the introduction of the Thatcher government's Right To Buy scheme enshrined in the new Housing Act. Having lived in the property for 18-years, the Pattersons qualified for a 40 per cent discount and, after putting down a deposit of just £5, they purchased the house in August 1980 for the sum of £8,315. The Patterson's marriage broke down amid the financial pressure of meeting the mortgage payments, which were rocketing due to high interest rates. Mrs Patterson, who was working at an old person's home, struggled with the bills for sometime on her own, before eventually being forced to sell up and move into a mobile home. Speaking in 2002, she said: "If I'd foreseen the end of my marriage I'd never have bought. I got trapped there without enough cash to cover bills. The mortgage was about £250 a month and after my husband left I survived only because my sons gave me board-and-lodging. I was desperate in a house I couldn't manage and wished I'd never bought. It broke my heart when I had to sell. It went for £57,000 and when I'd paid off the mortgage I had only enough left to buy a mobile home so I'm back down the property ladder. But I don't blame anyone. It was my decision to make that investment. I still remember the day Mrs Thatcher came to tea. I am still committed to right-to-buy. She was an icon to me. She was a lovely guest. I gave her a guided tour and she said, 'This is not just a house - it's a home. I was so proud. She had Downing Street and Chequers but No39 was just as special to me. Mrs Patterson, who now lives in sheltered housing in Chelmsford, and did not want to comment yesterday, sold the house in 1996 to transport manager Matt Brady and his wife Mandy, who worked as a teaching assistant. The couple took great pride in getting onto the property ladder and spent months decorating before moving in and having their two children: Daniel, now 15, and Hannah, now 13. After around five years they decided they needed somewhere bigger and relocated to Leigh-on-Sea, taking advantage of the rising housing market and selling for £101,000, a profit of more than £40,000. Speaking to the Daily Telegraph yesterday, Mr Brady said: "We sacrificed hard to buy our first house. We got a lot of benefit from Lady Thatcher's policy much later because we bought at the right time and were able to take advantage of the property boom. We wanted to get onto the property ladder. I would hate to be young now and trying to buy our first house. The next owner was single mother Angela Bacon, who spent two years in Amersham Road between 2001 and 2003. She said she was proud of her former home's link to the Right To Buy policy and had always supported the scheme. Miss Bacon told the Daily Telegraph: "I thought it was a very good scheme. My mum and dad bought their houses that way. I think it helped people to get on the property ladder, because the discount really helped. I made a £30,000 profit on the sale of Amersham Road. It was a lovely house. She added: "I think when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister; she did a lot for the country. As she was the first female, she got a lot more respect with her policies than a male would have. I was quite proud to be living in the house when I found out. Liam Shingler was the next to purchase 39 Amersham Road, in 2004, staying for three years before selling to Altan Masters and his wife Amy in 2007 for £183,000. Mr Masters, 33, a teacher, said that by the time he bought the house, he was only able to get on the property ladder thanks to financial support from his grandfather. He explained: "The reality is it's tough for people. The housing market hasn't really done anything in the last six years, prices haven't risen, but I don't know where we would be if Mrs Thatcher hadn't given people the opportunity to buy council houses back then. With the current property downturn, the Masters family are likely to make a slight loss on the sale but he explained that they are moving out to Rayleigh, where you can get more for your money. The new owner is a single Lithuanian woman in her 20s who moved to Britain around eight years ago to study. She has been living in Hounslow, in west London but is relocating the 35 miles across London to Essex.