How to improve your chances of getting a mortgage approved

There is no single national credit score that decides your mortgage. Each lender builds its own risk picture from your credit file, your income, your deposit, the property itself, and how the application is put together. Affordability usually carries more weight than a headline score — lenders care most about whether you can sustainably keep up the repayments.

Affordability in the UK sits in layers. The Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee sets a loan-to-income flow limit that caps lending at 4.5 times income or above to 15% of each lender's new mortgages in a quarter. The Financial Conduct Authority sets the conduct rules, including a forward-looking stress test that checks you could still pay if rates rose. In 2026, after the FCA reaffirmed flexibility in those rules, several major lenders now offer up to 5.5 times income as standard, and some go higher for specific borrower profiles.

The practical takeaway: two lenders can look at the same application and reach different decisions. That is why a rejection from one bank does not mean you cannot get a mortgage — it often means you applied to the wrong lender.

Start at least three to six months before you plan to apply — that is roughly how long it takes for positive changes to show and for lenders to see a settled pattern. Check all three UK credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax and TransUnion), because lenders use different ones and errors on any of them can hold you back.

The single easiest win is getting on the electoral roll at your current address: it confirms your identity and is quick to fix. Beyond that, pay every bill on time, bring credit-card balances down (using less than about 30% of your limit helps), and correct any mistakes or add a notice of correction where something needs explaining.

The months before you apply matter more than most buyers realise. Lenders typically scrutinise your last three to six months of bank statements closely, so treat that window as your audit period. Avoid anything that makes you look stretched or that reduces how much you can borrow.

Do not take on new credit — a car finance deal, a new phone contract on finance, or a fresh credit card can all cut your affordability at exactly the wrong moment and leave a hard search on your file. Steer clear of unauthorised overdrafts, gambling transactions, and payday loans, all of which lenders view poorly. If someone is gifting you deposit money, get it into your account early with a signed gift letter, because last-minute large deposits raise anti-money-laundering questions.

Both help, in different ways. A larger deposit lowers your loan-to-value, which unlocks lower interest rates and widens the pool of lenders willing to say yes. Crossing a threshold — for example moving from a 5% deposit to 10%, or from 10% to 15% — often has more impact on your rate and approval odds than a small credit-score improvement. On a £250,000 home, 5% is £12,500, 10% is £25,000 and 15% is £37,500.

A whole-of-market mortgage broker improves your odds by matching you to a lender whose criteria fit your circumstances — self-employed income, a new job, a smaller deposit or a past credit blip. Because they can see deals across the market and know each lender's rules, they help you avoid wasted applications and the hard credit searches that come with them. For first-time buyers, brokers are often free, as they are paid by the lender on completion.

Finally, always get an Agreement in Principle (also called a Decision in Principle) before you house-hunt. It is a soft-check indication of what a lender would lend, it does not harm your credit file, and it shows sellers you are a serious, ready buyer.