To access the best mortgage deals it is important to have a a good credit score score. You can check your credit score for free with one of the main three credit reference agencies in the UK: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. You can use your report to identify areas that you need to improve.
There are various activities to do to improve the score, including making sure all of your bills try paid off on time and you can reducing your expense.
Read our ultimate guide to improve your credit history for the full lowdown. We’ve also put together a 12-month plan to a better credit score, which breaks it down into easy-to-follow steps.
5. Sign in in order to choose
Before you make a mortgage application, make sure you are on the electoral check in as this can improve your credit score by around fifty points. It also allows lenders to check that you are who you say you are and make sure the details on your application are accurate.
If you are not registered to vote, you can sign up online. It only takes about five minutes and you’ll need your National Insurance number to hand. Check the Government’s website to see if you are eligible.
6. Keep statement money
Another significant thing you can do to improve your credit score and you will chances of getting the software accepted is to try to keep the expenses repayments.
Lenders will check your credit report to see how you’ve managed your finances in the past and use this data to predict your future behaviour. Missing just one payment can knock off around 130 affairs from your credit score. But if you have a good credit score and a solid history of repaying your bills on time, this will work in your favour.
Ideally, you want to pay your credit card balance off in full each month to avoid all interest and charges. But if this is not possible, you need to pay at least the lowest percentage, so that your credit file isn’t affected. Consider setting up a direct debit so you never miss a payment.
For many who check your credit report and acquire that it is maybe not accurate, attempt to contact the lending company to get it upgraded. Or even, wrong information you will definitely impression your credit rating plus capacity to rating home financing.
Guarantee that details such as your term and you can address was showing accurately, and argument people mistakes (such as credit lookups, items or monetary contacts) you don’t understand. Be aware that it can take few weeks to have errors getting updated, according to the financial in online payday loan Alaska addition to borrowing site service, therefore, the sooner you appear towards it the greater.
8. Beat one dated financial connections
If you’ve ever got a shared economic unit with another person, this will show on your own credit file. It’s not going to apply at your credit score nevertheless make a difference how loan providers view you. And if you’re from the anyone who has a woeful credit record, it would be better to treat connections together with them out of their statement which cannot echo improperly on you.
To start with, ensure that the shared account has been finalized. Upcoming contact the appropriate borrowing from the bank reference organizations so you’re able to demand a ‘observe away from disassociation’ to eradicate any links out of your credit history.
9. Boost your deposit
The higher your deposit, the lower the amount you’ll need to borrow from the bank. This is known as your ‘loan in order to worthy of‘ (or LTV). Saving a large deposit can boost your chances of getting your mortgage application accepted because the bank is likely to feel more comfortable if you can put a lot of money down upfront (usually over 10% of the value). If the house value was to drop, you would be less likely to go into negative guarantee with a large deposit behind you.