Lenders will read your credit history before lending you six figures, so read it first. You have three credit files, not one — Experian, Equifax and TransUnion each hold a separate record, and they frequently differ. Every file can be checked for free, and most fixes are simple but slow, which is exactly why this is Phase 2's first step.
Get all three statutory reports
Each agency must provide your statutory credit file free. Check all three: a mistake or a fraudulent account can appear on one and not the others, and you cannot know which agency your eventual lender will use. Review addresses, accounts, missed payments, financial associations with ex-partners, and any CCJ or default.
What actually moves the needle
Register on the electoral roll at your current address — it is the single easiest improvement. Correct errors in writing. Pay down revolving balances below about 30% of their limits. Keep old, well-managed accounts open for history. Avoid any new credit application in the six months before your mortgage. Defaults and CCJs remain visible for six years, but their impact fades with age and a clean recent record.
Ignore the score, read the file
The three-digit consumer score is a marketing summary; lenders run their own models on the underlying data. A 'fair' score with a clean, stable, electoral-roll-registered file often beats an 'excellent' score sitting on thin history. Fix the record, not the number.
Your action list
Official sources
Practical tips
- Set a reminder to recheck all three files a month before your full mortgage application — things change.
- If you find a CCJ you did not know about, act immediately; set-aside or satisfaction takes months, not days.
What can go wrong
- Closing every old account to 'tidy up' can shorten your credit history and lower your standing — stability is the asset.
- Credit repair companies charge for what you can do free; no one can lawfully remove accurate negative records.
- PropertySquares provides education, not financial or legal advice. Verify current rules and obtain advice for your circumstances before acting.