I’m Charles Calvert, a mortgage broker at Easy Mortgages. This is general information, not personal advice. Always check the figures against your own situation before you decide anything.
What credit score do you need for a mortgage? There is no single number that unlocks every UK lender. Each lender uses its own scorecard plus a full read of your credit file, income and property. A “good” score on one agency’s app can still fail a particular bank’s rules — and a middling score can pass with the right specialist lender.
In September 2024 I still meet Hampshire applicants who have delayed applying because a phone app showed a number they disliked. Fix the underlying entries first; the score is a symptom, not the whole diagnosis.
Scores are not universal
Experian, Equifax and TransUnion can show different figures for the same person. Lenders do not all use the same agency the same way. That is why I care more about the underlying entries — defaults, missed payments, utilisation, recent credit searches — than a gamified score.
What lenders actually check
- Electoral roll registration at your address.
- Missed payments, defaults, CCJs and IVAs — including how old they are.
- Credit card balances versus limits.
- Recent applications and payday-style lending.
- Bank statements that match the story on the application.
Thin files and first-time buyers
If you have little credit history, some high-street lenders struggle even with clean behaviour. Building a light, well-managed footprint over time can help. Checkmyfile offers a way to see multi-agency data; some packages include a short trial — read their terms so you know when paid billing would start.
Before you apply
Avoid a scattergun of hard mortgage applications. Soft-search eligibility checks and a broker-led approach reduce unnecessary footprints. If something on your file needs explaining, we prepare the explanation before underwriters ask.
If adverse or specialist underwriting is required, my fee for that route is £895 on full mortgage offer. Standard remortgage and purchase fees are £299 and £495 respectively on offer. Your first review chat is without obligation either way.
For buyers and remortgagers in Fareham, Portsmouth, Gosport and across Hampshire, a calm file review before you offer on a property is usually worth more than refreshing a score app daily.
How long marks tend to matter
Defaults, CCJs and other marks generally weigh less as they age, but lenders set their own cut-offs. A two-year-old blip and a six-month-old blip are not treated the same. Satisfied defaults usually look better than outstanding ones. Exact acceptability is lender-specific — that is why a broker review beats a forum thread.
If you have an IVA or bankruptcy in the past, specialist routes may still exist depending on dates and conduct since. Those cases often sit in the specialist fee band (£895 on full offer) because the underwriting work is heavier.
Electoral roll and address history
Registering to vote at your current address and keeping a clean, consistent address trail on the file helps thin-file and mobile Hampshire renters alike. Gaps and mismatched addresses create manual questions you do not need.
A Fareham broker’s closing thought
Every Hampshire case turns on its own income, credit and property detail. The sections above are a map, not a personal recommendation. When you are ready, bring your numbers and we will test them against current lender criteria together — calmly, and without obligation on the first conversation.
I have helped clients across Fareham, Whiteley, Locks Heath, Portchester, Gosport, Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Southampton and Winchester with variations of this question. Patterns repeat; your paperwork is still unique. That is why a short, honest fact-find beats another hour of late-night browsing.
If anything in this article conflicts with a letter from your own lender or solicitor, their document wins for your case until we review it together. Rules and product features change, and your file may carry facts no article can see.
Bring your questions to a first conversation whenever you are ready — there is no obligation, and no fee for that initial chat while we establish whether a full application makes sense.
If you would like to talk this through for your own numbers, you can get in touch here or email contact@easy-mortgages.co.uk. I am based in Fareham and help clients across Hampshire.