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Start by checking your credit reports well before you apply, then correct genuine errors, pay every bill on time, and reduce credit-card balances where you can. These steps can help strengthen your credit profile, but no particular action guarantees a score increase, a lower mortgage rate, or approval.
Start with your credit reports, not just one score
A credit report is the record of your accounts and payment history; a credit score is a calculation based on information in that report. You can have different scores because bureaus, scoring models, loan products, and calculation dates differ. A score from a free app may not be the score a mortgage lender uses. Lenders commonly review credit information, but their practices vary, and credit is only one part of a mortgage decision. The CFPB explains these differences and other factors lenders may consider, including debt, savings, assets, income, and your relationship with the lender: CFPB guide to credit scores and mortgage loans.
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Check reports early enough to have time to review them and address problems before house shopping becomes urgent. Looking at your own report or score does not hurt your score. As the CFPB puts it: “When you check your own credit — whether you’re looking at your credit report or credit scores — the credit reporting companies don’t treat it the same as a lender making an inquiry.” See the CFPB’s explanation of mortgage credit checks.
Review reports and dispute errors
Read each available report rather than relying on a single score summary. Check for accounts that are not yours, incorrect late payments or account statuses, duplicate entries, and mistakes in your personal information. Accurate negative information is not an error simply because it lowers a score; focus disputes on information that is wrong or incomplete.
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If you find an error, identify the item clearly and send supporting documents to both the credit bureau and the company that supplied the information, called the furnisher. Keep copies of what you send. The CFPB outlines dispute steps and report-access information at how to dispute a credit-report error.
Build the habits that matter most
Pay bills on time
Payment history is an important factor in credit scores. Pay every bill by its due date; if you have fallen behind, bring the account current if possible and continue paying on time. The CFPB’s credit-report and score guidance identifies on-time bill payment as a central step for improving credit. If remembering due dates is difficult, consider payment reminders or automatic payments that you can reliably cover.
Reduce revolving balances where feasible
Credit-card balances relative to credit limits can matter. The CFPB says experts advise using no more than 30% of total limits, but that is general advice—not a guaranteed score threshold, mortgage rule, or universal ideal. Paying down balances may help your overall profile, but the effect and timing vary. See the CFPB’s advice on getting and keeping a good credit score.
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Avoid unnecessary new credit and hasty account closures
As a mortgage application approaches, avoid opening several new accounts, applying for unrelated loans, or taking on large new credit purchases if you can. New applications can generate inquiries, and new borrowing can change your overall debt picture. Do not automatically close unused cards: the CFPB warns that closing a card can hurt in some circumstances. It advises against closing unused cards unless they carry an annual fee. Details are in the CFPB’s credit guidance.
How far ahead should you prepare?
There is no reliable fixed timetable for a particular borrower’s score to rise by a particular number of points. The CFPB says people who are at least six months from buying may have time to improve their scores and potentially get a better rate, but it does not promise a specific gain. That is a planning horizon, not a deadline or guarantee. If you are closer to applying, still check reports, correct errors, and keep payments current rather than assuming it is too late to take useful steps.
For personalized help reviewing your reports or considering whether to proceed, a HUD-approved housing counseling agency may be useful, particularly if you have a low score, no score, or questions about your options. The CFPB points consumers to housing counselors in its mortgage credit-score guidance.
Put score ranges in context
The CFPB offers broad context, not universal underwriting cutoffs: it says borrowers with scores in the mid-to-high 700s or above generally receive the lowest rates, while people below 620 generally have trouble qualifying. A lender’s decision and available terms depend on loan type and lender, among other parts of your financial picture. Do not treat 620 as a universal pass-or-fail line or assume a score alone determines your mortgage options. See the CFPB’s overview of credit scores and mortgage loans.
Shop mortgage offers without avoiding necessary credit checks
Applying with lenders involves credit checks, but avoiding all applications can leave you without a meaningful comparison. Under CFPB guidance reviewed in 2026, multiple mortgage credit checks within 45 days are recorded on your report as a single inquiry. This is general guidance, not a promise that every scoring model or circumstance treats inquiries identically. Keep mortgage shopping focused and avoid mixing in unrelated credit applications during the same period. The CFPB explains this at how mortgage shopping affects credit.
Request written offers from at least three lenders and compare the full terms rather than the advertised interest rate alone. Consider the loan term, down payment assumptions, monthly payment, points, fees, adjustable-rate payment changes, and total costs over time. The CFPB’s mortgage-offer comparison guidance explains how to compare offers. If deciding whether to apply now or wait, weigh the actual offers alongside your report accuracy, debts, savings, income, and timeline; a credit score is only one element of the decision.
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