There’s an interesting case study at The Guardian with a couple who earn £24,000 per year between them and are looking at ways of escaping increasing rental costs and getting on the property ladder.
Although little is known about the couple, the main points that come out of the article are that the couple should ensure their credit records are as good as possible, and that they should aim to pay off any debts they have, as debts could have an impact on the amount they can borrow from a lender. Obviously, it would be even better if they had no debts and were in a position to be saving money.
Finally, the article suggests that the Coventry Building Society may be able to help them with their mortgage, as they have a deposit-less mortgage aimed at first time buyers. This particular mortgage is actually part-secured loan, part-unsecured loan, but they will offer up to 95% loan-to-value.