People camped outside a home-builder’s office during freezing temperatures in a desperate attempt to secure new homes within an increasingly competitive market.

Bellway has built a development of one- and two-bedroom flats and three-bedroom houses at Priory Mill in Lawson Road, Dartford.

The last batch of 29 homes was released on Saturday, but more than 300 people had registered an interest in them and in two hours they had all been bought.

Sold on a first come, first served basis, people began to gather outside from as early as Wednesday, and spent three nights out in below-zero temperatures.

Sarah Chambers was first to arrive. The 25-year-old has been looking to buy her first home with boyfriend Ricky Heselden for almost a year but, having no luck, they decided drastic action was the only way forward.

Armed with sleeping bags and tents the couple – with the help of Sarah’s dad John Chambers, Ricky’s mum Kelly Desmond and his sister Amie-Jane Desmond – took stints guarding their spot at the front of what became a very long queue.

Sarah, a lawyer, took time of work for the stake-out, while Ricky was working in his IT job during the days and spending the cold nights camping with her.

She said: “The builders have been looking at us like we’re completely crazy and we’ve had people come and ask us what we’re doing.

“I don’t think people realise how hard it is to get on the property ladder. We’ve been searching hard and you just can’t find much under £300,000.”

Most of the people looking were young first-time buyers who, struggling to get together enough for a large mortgage, wanted to use the government’s Help to Buy scheme.

It allows people to only stump up 5% of the cost and get a 95% mortgage, but can only be used on new builds. Sarah said: “It’s been freezing, but everyone is friendly, and we’ve all numbered ourselves so we know when Bellway opens who will be seen first.

“The staff in Bellway have been lovely too, bringing us out cups of tea and biscuits and letting us use their toilet.”

On Saturday morning, dozens of people gathered at dawn outside Bellway, and many were disappointed.

But living on food from the local garage, Sarah and Ricky’s efforts paid off and the young couple managed to secure their first-choice home, a two-bedroom flat for £236,000.

Dad John said this week: “Sarah got what she wanted so it was well worth two days in the cold.

“They got to know their new neighbours as well. Quite a few of them have become good friends after all of that, so it all worked out.”

A spokeswoman for Oracle, on behalf of Bellway Homes, said: “We were quite surprised with the scale of interest, but it demonstrates just how hot the property market is.”