Builders, decorators and gardeners are busy refurbishing and putting the last touches to ex-Ministry of Defence houses today ready for the ‘sale day’ tomorrow. But waiting for the chance to snap up the cut-price homes are 22 people who have been camping out for nearly a fortnight alongside the hustle and bustle, anxious to be first in line.

Eager buyers began turning up at Tamerton Foliot, near Plymouth ten days ago to get in the queue for one of the 57 properties going on sale on Friday.

The three-bedroom homes will be sold for around £93,000, from 9.30am, with the first 28 being allocated to forces personnel. Those left over will then go to civilian buyers on a first-come, first-served basis.

Martin Swan, a railway worker was the first to arrive, despite having his broken leg in a cast. Enjoying the Devon sunshine and speaking on local television yesterday, he said he couldn’t do anything else, so why not camp out.

"I have been looking in this area for the past six to eight months and nothing compares to the value you are getting {here}," he said.

However, one of the big benefits to first time buyers is that Annington, the company selling the homes, is allowing buyers to reserve a property for £99 while the company pays the five per cent deposit.

Annington became one of the largest private owners of residential property in the United Kingdom following its purchase of more than 57,000 homes from the Ministry of Defence in November 1996.

The properties they own range over all types from two bedroom flats to eight bedroom houses in all areas from Cumbria to Cornwall and South Wales to Suffolk. The majority of these homes are leased back to the Ministry of Defence for continued use as service accommodation.

Annington is guaranteed an annual release of some 600-700 empty houses that are surplus to Ministry of Defence.

The sales office on site is open from 10.30am to 5.30pm and it is expected that all homes will be sold on the day. Visit www.annington.co.uk for details.