Getting a mortgage with outstanding debts

I am living currently in a house share situation with my wife, we are both in out late twenty's and didn't get on the property ladder when we should have done when it was nice and cheap! We also both have debts, amounting to approx 17,000 between us. These are loans that are both being paid back as quickly as possible(Wedding and honeymoon expenses + credit cards), the house share situation we live in is extremely cheap, which allows us to pay a substantial amount back every month, but the situation will occur, where maybe one or two of the friends decide to leave, and If I know I will be having to pay full rent, I would rather throw the money at a mortgage than lose it on rent money.

Ideally when we go for a mortgage we would be debt free with a nice big deposit, which on my calculations would be about 3 - 4 years. We only have a combined income of 32,000 per annum, so if we have to get a mortgage early what are our options? Can we borrow enough to cover the debts as well?, obvoiusly the later we apply the less debt we will have, but is it possible to get on the ladder sooner rather than later?

If I've understood your situation correctly, you are hoping to get a mortgage for more than 100% of the value of the property. Lenders are nervous enough about 100% mortgages, and I suspect would be extremely reluctant to lend, say, 110%. If you can convince the lender that you can afford the mortgage payments in addition to paying back your existing loan, you might be able to get a mortgage while you still have the outstanding debt, but I'd be amazed if you could get a mortgage that would allow you to buy a new house AND pay off your existing debt.

Adam