What credit score do I need for a mortgage?
There's no universal number. Experian, Equifax and TransUnion scores are guides for you, lenders don't see them. Each lender runs its own internal scoring against its own criteria, which is why one bank can decline you and another approve you the same week.
What lenders actually assess
- Your credit history: payment conduct on cards, loans, phone contracts, recency matters most. Two years of clean conduct outweighs an old blip.
- Credit utilisation: consistently maxed cards suggest stress; modest, well-managed balances often score better than no credit history at all.
- Stability signals: electoral roll registration, time at address, time in job or business.
- Affordability: income versus commitments and outgoings, separate from credit scoring but assessed alongside it.
Quick wins before applying
- Register on the electoral roll at your current address, fast and meaningful.
- Check all three credit reports for errors and outdated links to ex-partners' finances.
- Avoid new credit applications in the 3 to 6 months before a mortgage.
- Don't close old, well-run accounts, account age helps.
- Keep card balances comfortably below limits.
If your file has real problems
Defaults, CCJs or missed payments narrow the field but rarely close it, see our bad credit hub. The worst move is applying speculatively and collecting declines.
"People fixate on the app score and miss what lenders really read: the report behind it. I review clients' reports before any application, ten minutes of reading often changes which lender we go to, and occasionally we fix an error that transforms the case."
Related questions
This page is general information, not personal advice. Whether a mortgage is available and suitable depends on your individual circumstances. Lender criteria and rates change regularly. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.
Quick answers
Will checking my own credit score hurt it?
No. Checking your own reports is a soft search and invisible to lenders. Check all three agencies - they hold different data.
I've never borrowed - is no credit history good?
Counter-intuitively it can score poorly, as lenders have nothing to assess. A well-run credit card paid in full each month builds history safely.
How long do problems stay on file?
Most negative markers - missed payments, defaults, CCJs - drop off six years after the event or default date.
See your credit file the way lenders see it
Check My File shows your data from Equifax, Experian and TransUnion in one report, the same picture a lender builds when they assess you. Spotting an error or an old default before an application is worth a lot more than discovering it during one. Free for the first 7 days. Cancel within the 7 days to avoid the £14.99 a month subscription fee.
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