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Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage. Think carefully before securing other debts against your home. Borrowing over a longer term can mean paying back more in total.
You can’t fix a credit file overnight, and no legitimate adviser can do it for you. What genuinely helps before a remortgage is a combination of paying everything on time from now on, correcting any errors on your file, reducing how much available credit you’re using, and giving time for older problems to become less recent. None of this guarantees acceptance with any particular lender, but it puts you in a stronger position.
Start by checking your actual credit report
Before doing anything else, get your statutory credit report free from each of the three agencies, Experian, Equifax and TransUnion. Look for:
- Accounts you don’t recognise, which could be an error or, rarely, fraud
- Missed payments recorded against an account you believed was up to date
- A default or CCJ you weren’t aware of, or thought had already dropped off
- Addresses or personal details that are out of date
If you spot an error, you can raise a dispute directly with the credit reference agency, who must investigate. Getting a genuine mistake corrected can have a more immediate effect than almost anything else on this list.
Pay on time, every time, from now on
Payment history is one of the most heavily weighted factors in most lenders’ own scoring. Setting up direct debits for at least the minimum payment on every account reduces the risk of a missed payment being recorded. If you’re struggling to make a payment, contact the lender before the date it’s due; lenders dealing with a borrower in difficulty must treat them fairly and consider forbearance options, and a missed payment recorded through an agreed arrangement can look different to one that simply wasn’t paid.
Reduce how much available credit you’re using
Using a large share of your available credit, particularly on credit cards, can weigh against you even if you always pay on time. Paying down balances, rather than moving debt between cards, tends to help more over time. Be cautious about opening several new credit accounts in the run-up to a remortgage application, since each hard search is visible to other lenders and a flurry of new applications can look unsettled to an underwriter.
Get on the electoral register
Being registered to vote at your current address helps lenders verify your identity, which is a small but genuine factor in some lenders’ processes. It’s free and quick to register or update your details with your local council.
A realistic view of what helps and how fast
| Action | What it helps with | Roughly how soon |
|---|---|---|
| Correcting a genuine error on your report | Removes an inaccurate mark that shouldn’t be there | Weeks, once the agency investigates |
| Paying on time from now on | Builds positive history for future applications | Ongoing, builds over months |
| Reducing credit card balances | Lowers how much available credit you’re using | A few months of steady repayment |
| Registering on the electoral roll | Helps lenders verify your identity | Immediate once processed |
| Waiting for a mark to become older | Some lenders view older issues more favourably | Months to years, up to the 6-year drop-off |
Understand what time alone will do
Every negative mark, a missed payment, default, CCJ, or an IVA or bankruptcy, becomes less recent with each month that passes, and drops off your file entirely after 6 years from the relevant date (the default date for a default, the judgment date for a CCJ, and so on). Some lenders view a 4-year-old default very differently to one from 4 months ago, even though both remain visible on the file. If your remortgage isn’t urgent, waiting even a few months to a year can genuinely widen your options, alongside the other steps above.
If you want to know exactly when a specific entry is due to drop off, the credit file date calculator works out the date from when it was recorded. It’s worth checking before deciding whether to apply now or wait, since a mark in its final few months can look quite different to a lender than one that’s just been registered. Our guide on what credit score you actually need for a mortgage explains why the number itself matters less than what’s behind it.
Be careful with debt consolidation as a “fix”
Rolling existing debts into a remortgage can simplify your monthly outgoings, but it turns previously unsecured debt into debt secured against your home, and a longer mortgage term can mean paying more in total even if monthly payments fall. It isn’t a shortcut to a better credit score, and a regulated adviser is required to consider whether it’s genuinely appropriate for you before recommending it. See debt consolidation through a remortgage for the full picture, including the risks.
What this means if you’re remortgaging with adverse credit
If your current deal is ending and your file has marks against it, from a missed payment to something more serious, the steps above won’t erase the history, but they can strengthen the picture a lender or adviser sees: current accounts in good order, credit use under control, and any genuine errors corrected. Combined with understanding your loan-to-value and being realistic about timing, this gives a fuller, fairer picture than fixating on a single score.
If money is genuinely tight rather than a one-off blip, speak to MoneyHelper, StepChange or National Debtline for free advice before taking on any new borrowing, and talk to your current lender early if you think you might miss a payment.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to improve a credit score before remortgaging?
There's no fixed timescale. Consistent on-time payments and reduced credit card use can help build a stronger picture over several months, but past marks such as a default or CCJ stay on your file for 6 years regardless of anything you do afterwards. Starting early, ideally well before your current deal ends, gives you the most room to make a difference.
Will paying off a default improve my credit score?
Paying it changes the default's status to satisfied or settled, which some lenders view more favourably than one still shown as outstanding, but it doesn't remove the entry or shorten the 6 years it stays on your file from the default date. The debt being resolved and the entry being removed are two separate things.
Does closing old credit cards help before a remortgage?
Not necessarily, and it can sometimes work against you. Closing accounts reduces your total available credit and can shorten your visible credit history, neither of which is always positive for how a lender views your file. It's often better to keep older, well-managed accounts open and simply focus on paying on time.
Can a broker or adviser improve my credit score for me?
No one, including a broker or adviser, can alter or remove accurate entries from your credit file on your behalf, so be wary of anyone claiming they can guarantee that for a fee. A specialist adviser can, however, help you understand which lenders are more likely to consider your particular circumstances.