A practical starting point
Your preparation plan
Read the guidance behind your plan
The file contains your selected topic and checklist. Keep it somewhere appropriate for you.
Your next chapter starts with a clearer picture
Get credit ready for your mortgage.
Worried about a missed payment, default or CCJ? Understand your credit report and build a practical plan before you apply.
You do not need a perfect-looking score to start a conversation. Choose your starting point, see what to check and talk through your mortgage plans with me.
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You can also check for free. MoneyHelper explains free statutory credit reports . You do not need a paid report to speak with me.
A person behind the advice
Jack Cousins
Head of Mortgages at Lockhart Murphy
Your starting point, made clearer
Build your credit preparation plan.
Choose what you want to understand and when you hope to apply. Get a practical list of things to check before a mortgage conversation.
Your choices only tailor this checklist. They stay on this page and are not saved or sent to Jack. No personal details, report upload or credit search.
Choose your starting point, then build your plan.
Explore every starting point.
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Start by understanding your credit report
A credit score is an indicator, not a mortgage decision. Read the accounts and payment history behind it. Information can differ between credit reference agencies, and a paid subscription is optional.
- Read the underlying record. Check your credit reports for accounts, payment history, searches and public records. Free statutory reports are an option.
- Check the basics. Review your personal details, address history and financial associations. Make a separate note of anything you do not recognise.
- Prepare a short summary. Write down your mortgage plans and any questions about the report. You do not need to send account details or upload a report to this page.
Further reading: MoneyHelper: how to check your credit report
Preparing for a mortgage after missed payments
A missed or late payment needs context. The record, when it happened and your wider finances all matter. Do not assume that a headline score explains how a lender will assess it.
- Check the payment record. Note the dates, affected accounts and whether the entry describes a late payment, missed payment or arrears. Check that the information is accurate.
- Gather the explanation. Keep relevant statements or correspondence and make a factual note of what happened and how it was addressed.
- Keep current commitments manageable. Maintain agreed payments. If you are struggling, speak to the provider and seek free debt advice through MoneyHelper before taking on further borrowing.
Further reading: Experian: late payments · MoneyHelper: improving your credit score
Preparing for a mortgage with a default
The date, amount and status of a default help an adviser understand the entry. Paying a default does not normally remove it straight away. Check the actual report and keep evidence of any settlement.
- Record the original default details. Note the original default date, provider and recorded amount. Check that the same debt has not been recorded incorrectly after a transfer between providers.
- Check the current status. Compare the balance and settled or outstanding status with your records. Keep any settlement confirmation and query inaccurate information.
- Explain the circumstances clearly. Prepare a short, factual explanation and discuss it alongside your current commitments, income, deposit and mortgage plans.
Further reading: Experian: defaults on your credit report
Preparing for a mortgage with a CCJ
A county court judgment (CCJ) in England or Wales needs a careful review of the date, amount and payment status. Paying a judgment and removing it from the register are different things. Other UK jurisdictions use different processes.
- Gather the judgment details. Note the judgment date, amount and whether it has been paid. Keep the court reference and documents securely for a later adviser discussion.
- Check the recorded status. Compare the credit report with payment evidence. Read the official guidance on the register and satisfaction or removal rules; seek appropriate advice if you dispute the judgment.
- Discuss before applying. Explain the circumstances to an adviser before making speculative mortgage applications. This planner does not assess lender criteria or your eligibility.
Further reading: GOV.UK: CCJs and your credit rating
Preparing with limited UK credit history
A limited credit file is different from an adverse entry. Start with accurate identity and address information, then discuss how your residency, income and deposit will be evidenced. Do not take on debt just to chase a score.
- Check the information available. Review the reports you can access and check that your name and address history match your records. Follow the agency’s process if it cannot verify you online.
- Review address and identity evidence. Check electoral-register information and register if you are eligible. Keep a clear address history and evidence of your income and deposit for an adviser discussion.
- Put the wider circumstances in context. Explain your time in the UK, residency position and any overseas income. Ask an adviser what evidence is needed before making new credit applications.
Further reading: MoneyHelper: improving your credit score · Experian: credit and mortgages
Putting a credit report error right
You can ask for inaccurate personal information to be corrected. Contact the credit reference agency and the organisation that supplied the entry, and keep evidence of your query. A dispute does not guarantee that the entry will be removed.
- Identify the exact entry. Make a secure note of the provider, affected report and information you believe is wrong. Compare it with statements or other evidence.
- Raise a correction request. Contact the credit reference agency and the organisation that supplied the information. Explain what is inaccurate and keep a record of the response.
- Check the outcome. Review the report again after an agreed correction. If the issue remains unresolved, read the ICO guidance on the next steps and tell your adviser before relying on the corrected position.
Further reading: ICO: credit records and your rights
Three different parts of the picture
A score is a starting point.
A mortgage decision brings several checks together. Keep these three ideas separate.
Your credit report
The information held about credit accounts, payments, searches and relevant public records. This is where you check accuracy and identify anything to explain.
Your credit score
An agency’s summary of information it holds. Agencies use different scales. A high score does not guarantee approval and a lower score needs context.
Your affordability
The lender’s assessment of whether borrowing is affordable, including income and commitments. Deposit, property and lender criteria also influence the options.
Credit history is part of your story
Adverse credit mortgage advice in London.
If you are searching for an adverse credit mortgage or a mortgage with bad credit, start by understanding the entries a lender could see. These terms commonly describe credit difficulties such as missed payments, defaults or CCJs; they do not describe one single mortgage product.
I am based in London and help clients across the UK. We can talk through buying your first home, moving or remortgaging, with your credit history alongside your deposit, income and commitments.
Explore adverse credit mortgage guidanceWhat makes the first conversation useful?
The details behind the entry.
- What happened: the type of entry and a short explanation.
- When it happened: the recorded date and whether there are more recent issues.
- Where it stands: the amount, balance and whether it is outstanding, settled or disputed.
- Your plans now: deposit, income, existing commitments and purchase or remortgage timescale.
Keep these notes for your discussion. Do not enter account numbers or upload your report here. London does not have a separate credit-score threshold, and no outcome can be established from this guide.
Talk through my circumstancesOne useful step at a time
Your credit preparation route.
Open each stage for a practical next action. Start early enough to investigate questions before an application deadline.
This is a preparation guide. Completing it does not establish mortgage eligibility or guarantee a higher score.
Talk through my starting pointStart with the actual reports
Check the information held by the credit reference agencies. Their records can differ, so one score or one report may not show the whole picture. You can request free statutory reports; a paid service is optional.
Match your personal details
Review your name, date of birth and current and previous addresses. Look for missing or incorrect electoral-register information and register to vote if you are eligible. Consistent, accurate details help avoid unnecessary identity questions.
Understand what is recorded
Check open and closed accounts, balances, payment history, defaults, judgments and recent searches. Note dates, amounts and whether an entry is settled or outstanding. Record your actual monthly commitments separately: a report is only part of the affordability picture.
Query errors and old associations
Raise an inaccurate entry with the credit reference agency and the organisation that supplied it. Keep the response and supporting evidence. Review financial associations from joint borrowing; ask about removing a link when the shared financial commitment has ended.
Keep the next steps manageable
Maintain agreed payments and budget for existing commitments. Avoid repeated credit applications simply to test your chances, and do not take on borrowing solely to chase a score. If repayments are becoming difficult, seek free debt advice through MoneyHelper.
Bring the report into your mortgage plan
Discuss your deposit, income, spending, property plans and intended application date with Jack. Explain any relevant credit events accurately. The right next step may be an application, further evidence or time to address an issue; there is no universal waiting period or promised outcome.
Keep track of the preparation
Your six-point checklist.
Tick what you have reviewed. The counter tracks tasks, not your creditworthiness. Your ticks stay on this page and are not sent to Jack.
The questions people ask
Before you apply.
Practical answers to help you prepare a more useful mortgage conversation.
What credit score do I need for a mortgage?
There is no universal minimum credit score for a UK mortgage, and no score guarantees approval. Credit reference agencies use different scoring systems, while lenders apply their own criteria and assess affordability, the property and your circumstances. The information behind a score is more useful than chasing a universal target.
Link to this answerWill checking my own credit report affect my score?
Checking your own report does not affect your credit score. This is different from making a credit application. Before an agreement in principle or other application, ask whether the lender will use a soft or hard search.
Link to this answerDo I have to pay to check my credit report?
No. Free statutory credit reports are available from the credit reference agencies. Checkmyfile is an optional third-party service accessed through my partner link. Review its current trial, ongoing subscription charge and cancellation terms before registering.
Link to this answerCan I get a mortgage with a default, CCJ or missed payment?
An adverse entry does not answer that question on its own. Its type, age, amount and settlement status matter alongside the wider application and current lender criteria. Start with an accurate explanation and evidence. Speak with Jack before submitting speculative applications.
Link to this answerHow long does it take to get credit ready?
There is no fixed timetable. Correcting an error, updating a balance and building a payment history are different tasks. Reporting and dispute processes take time, and a change may reach each agency at a different point. Check that an agreed correction is reflected before relying on it.
Link to this answerShould I send Jack my full report straight away?
Start with a short summary of your plans and any entries you want to discuss. Do not attach a full report, identity documents or account details to the initial website enquiry. If the report is needed, agree a secure way to share it with Jack.
Link to this answerCan you help with adverse credit mortgages in London?
I am a London-based mortgage adviser, supporting clients in London and across the UK. We can discuss a purchase or remortgage, your credit history and the wider application. Location does not create a separate set of credit rules: the lender, property and your circumstances still determine what is possible.
Link to this answerDoes paying for a credit report improve my mortgage chances?
Buying a report does not change your credit history or guarantee a mortgage. A report helps you see what is recorded so you can check for errors and prepare an informed conversation. A paid service is optional, and you can request statutory reports for free.
Link to this answerCan I be declined with a good credit score?
Yes. A score is only one indicator. A lender may have concerns about affordability, income evidence, the property or its own lending criteria. Ask for the reason where possible and discuss it before making another application.
Link to this answerA real conversation with Jack
Not sure what your report means for your plans?
Tell me whether you are buying or remortgaging, your rough timescale and what you would like to discuss. A short outline is enough to begin.
We can agree a secure way to share documents after we have spoken.
Sources & further reading
Guidance updated 14 October 2026. General information; lender criteria and provider terms can change. The planner organises preparation steps and does not make a lending decision.