Looking into the future

Raggs_2

OK, currently not a resident in the UK, I am a citizen though. Living with my fiancee (foreign), planning to marry in about a year.

No credit history (except for student loan) in the UK, my student loan should finally begin to receive some payments in another month or so (once my full time position is sorted and I work out how the payments will be made).

At some point in the future we have plans to move to the UK, nothing definite. And when we move, I am hoping to have at least a small deposit saved, and be willing to continue saving for a short while in the UK.

We do have credit cards in Israel, one is almost never used, the other used heavily and paid off instantly (it's a bottomless pit, not due to us being loaded (unfortunately) but due to specific circumstances). The bottomless pit is in her name only.

Does our credit history in Israel make a difference here? Does student loan repayment make a difference to credit history? How much importance is based on credit history for getting a mortgage? Will having local saving accounts (that are used when we come on holiday) help at all?

Could it be worth setting up my SLC repayments through a credit card, which is paid off in full monthly? (I can find out details of the credit card on the proper board, if it is even achievable).

With no work history for what will likely be at least 5 years in the UK, will I need to build a history, or just show that I have a full time contract in a reliable job?

Now I realise these questions speculate about the future mortgage market, but assuming that it's not going to get any tougher than it currently is, what would I be looking at? And what can I do to try and make things a bit easier come the future?

Thanks in advance, and sorry for all the reading.