Several hard credit searches close together can make the next lender you approach more cautious, because a run of applications can suggest you are struggling to get credit accepted elsewhere. This is separate from whatever caused the earlier searches. Even someone with an otherwise clean file may find recent applications for cards, loans or finance agreements are affecting how a mortgage lender views them right now.
This page explains what counts as a hard search, how they differ from soft searches, and what tends to help if you already have several recorded. For the wider picture on credit scores, see remortgaging with a low credit score.
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- Low credit scoreUsually stays on your credit file for scores change as your report changes.
In short
- A hard search is recorded when you formally apply for credit, and other lenders can see it.
- Soft searches, such as eligibility checks or checking your own file, are not visible to lenders.
- Several hard searches in a short period can make the next lender more cautious.
- Spacing out applications and using soft-search tools first can reduce the impact.
What is a hard search, and how is it different from a soft one?
A hard search is recorded when you formally apply for credit, such as a credit card, loan, car finance or a full mortgage application. It stays visible on your credit file for other lenders to see. A soft search, such as checking your own report, an eligibility check, or some lenders’ initial quotes, is only visible to you and does not affect how other lenders assess you.
| Activity | Usually a | Visible to other lenders? |
|---|---|---|
| Checking your own credit report | Soft search | No |
| An eligibility checker or comparison quote | Soft search | No |
| A full mortgage application | Hard search | Yes |
| A credit card, loan or car finance application | Hard search | Yes |
General information only. Always check how a specific product or comparison site describes its search before applying.
Why do several hard searches close together matter?
One or two hard searches over a normal period are unlikely to cause concern on their own. A cluster of several in a short time, though, particularly where more than one resulted in a decline, can look to the next lender like you are struggling to get credit elsewhere, even if the underlying reason has nothing to do with your ability to repay a mortgage.
Applications for credit cards, loans, mobile contracts and car finance all leave hard searches. A flurry of these before a remortgage application can affect it, even if none of them were for a mortgage.
How do repeated mortgage applications specifically affect you?
If a remortgage application does not proceed, applying to another lender straight away adds a further hard search. Do this a few times in quick succession and each new lender sees a growing list of recent searches, which can work against you regardless of the reasons behind the earlier applications.
This is why it is usually better to find out why an earlier application did not proceed before trying again. Our page on being declined before covers what to check first.
What tends to help reduce the impact of recent searches
- Use a mortgage in principle or eligibility check that relies on a soft search where one is available, rather than applying in full straight away.
- Space out applications for other credit, such as cards or car finance, in the months before a remortgage if you can.
- Ask a specialist adviser to review your file first, so applications go to lenders more likely to consider your circumstances rather than being spread across several at once.
- Let some time pass since the last search where possible, since the effect tends to fade the longer ago it was.
If a recent search was for something unrelated to your finances more generally, such as a mobile phone contract, it is still worth being aware it counts towards the overall picture a mortgage lender will see, alongside anything on your file relating to defaults or missed payments.
When a cluster of searches sits alongside other credit issues
Several recent hard searches often appear alongside other signs of financial pressure, such as rising balances or a recent default. Where that is the case, an adviser will look at the whole picture rather than the search history alone, since the underlying cause usually matters more than the searches themselves.
If your file is thin as well as showing recent searches, perhaps because you have only recently started using credit, our page on a thin credit file explains how that is viewed differently again.
What may affect a remortgage after several recent searches
| Factor | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Number of hard searches in the last 6 to 12 months | Several close together tend to draw more attention than one or two spread out. |
| Whether the searches were for mortgages or other credit | A cluster of unrelated applications, such as cards or car finance, can still affect how a mortgage application is viewed. |
| Outcome of previous applications | Several recent declines can raise more questions than searches that led to accepted credit. |
| Time since the most recent search | The effect of a search tends to fade the longer ago it was. |
| Whether soft searches were used instead | Eligibility checks and quotes that only leave a soft search do not add to this picture. |
| Other entries on your file | Assessed alongside the search history, not instead of it. |
| Loan to value and equity | More equity can widen the choice of lenders willing to look past a run of recent searches. |
| Income and affordability | Assessed as for any remortgage, separately from the search history. |
These are general points, not lender rules. Each lender sets and changes its own criteria.
Information an adviser may ask for
You don’t need all of this to make an enquiry. It helps to know where to find it, because an adviser is likely to ask about most of it.
- Copies of your statutory credit reports from all three agencies
- A note of what each recent hard search was for and roughly when
- The outcome of each recent application
- Details of your current mortgage and its payment history
- Proof of income and your monthly outgoings
Frequently asked questions
How many hard searches is too many before a remortgage?
There is no fixed number that applies across every lender. What tends to matter is whether a cluster of recent searches looks unusual for your circumstances, particularly if several led to a decline.
Does checking my own credit report count as a search that lenders can see?
No. Checking your own report, and most eligibility checkers, are soft searches. They are visible only to you and do not affect how a lender assesses your application.
I have applied to a few mortgage lenders recently without success. What should I do?
It is usually better to stop and find out why before applying again, since each new application can add another hard search. Our page on being declined before covers this in more detail.
Do mortgage in principle checks count as hard searches?
It varies. Some lenders use a soft search for an initial mortgage in principle and a hard search only at full application, while others use a hard search from the start. Ask the lender or your adviser which applies before proceeding.
How long do hard searches stay on my credit file?
Hard searches are typically visible for around 12 months, though this can vary slightly between agencies. Their effect on a lender’s view tends to fade well before they disappear entirely.