Hi kitten, it is always worth speaking to your own bank, and you don't have to have the mortgage over only 25 years ask about an extended one, say for 35 years, but whatever you do never borrow more than you can comfortably afford to pay back, cos if you do and interest rates rise you will be in trouble with paying it, the other option is to go for shared equity on a house with a housing association, what else you could consider is going for a house that needs a bit of work doing to it, you then straight away have a property worth more than you payed for it, they will ask about what other debts you have, you say your hubby has bad debt in the past, is that all ok now ?