Check your credit file before you apply for a mortgage.

We’ve partnered with checkmyfile to give you access to a detailed, multi-agency credit report. This helps us spot any issues early and position your application with the right lender.

Get Your Full Credit Report

30-day free trial, then a monthly fee applies. You can cancel anytime directly with checkmyfile.

Multi-agency report View your full history Spot issues early

Once you’ve downloaded your report, you can securely share it with us so we can talk through how lenders are likely to view your application.

Scan to access your checkmyfile report
Prefer mobile? Scan the QR code to open our checkmyfile link.

How your credit file affects your mortgage.

Your credit report is one of the main tools lenders use to understand how you manage borrowing. It can influence:

  • Whether a lender will accept or decline your application
  • How much you can borrow and which products are available
  • What interest rates you’re offered and what fees may apply
  • Whether a lender needs extra documents or underwriter review

The key thing to remember is that your credit score alone does not decide the outcome. Lenders don’t use the score you see on checkmyfile. Instead, they use their own internal scoring systems and look closely at the detail of your credit history.

What lenders really look for

When we review your report, we’re focusing on the same things underwriters look at:

  • Payment history – any late or missed payments on credit cards, loans, car finance, mobile or utilities.
  • Credit utilisation – how much of your limits you use; staying well below the limit is usually viewed more positively.
  • Recent credit searches – lots of applications in a short period can reduce your score with some lenders.
  • Defaults, CCJs & arrangements – how recent they are, whether they’re satisfied and how they were caused.
  • Length of credit history – a stable track record over several years is generally preferred.
  • Stability – address history, electoral roll registration and employment patterns all play a part.

Our role is to help present this information in the best possible light and match you with lenders whose criteria suit your situation.

First-time buyers & “thin” credit files

Many first-time buyers are surprised to find that having no credit history can be just as limiting as having adverse credit. If you’ve always lived at home, never had a credit card, or recently moved to the UK, your file may give lenders very little to work with.

That doesn’t mean you can’t get a mortgage. It just means we need to be a bit more strategic:

  • We’ll check your credit file for any existing accounts or electoral-roll entries that help build your profile.
  • We can talk through simple steps to start building positive credit history if needed.
  • We work with lenders who are comfortable with limited credit history where the rest of the case is strong.

If you’re a first-time buyer, sharing your checkmyfile report early in the process helps us shape the right plan from day one.

Adverse credit – we still have options.

If your report shows late payments, defaults, CCJs, a debt management plan or previous insolvency, it can feel daunting. In reality, adverse credit doesn’t automatically mean “no mortgage”.

At Greywood we work with a wide panel of lenders, including specialist and manual-underwritten options, who look beyond the headline:

  • How long ago the issues happened and what’s changed since.
  • Whether the debts are now satisfied or under control.
  • The size of your deposit and overall affordability.
  • The story behind the blips – for example, one-off events vs ongoing patterns.

We’ll review your checkmyfile report in detail and explain which lenders are likely to help, what rates to expect and whether waiting or tidying things first could put you in a stronger position.

Keeping your credit file accurate

Even small errors on your credit file can affect a mortgage application. Common issues we see include:

  • Old addresses still showing as “active”.
  • Closed accounts reported as open.
  • Payments marked late when they weren’t.
  • Financial associations with an ex-partner that should have been removed.
  • Unknown accounts or searches that may indicate fraud.

When we review your checkmyfile report, we’ll highlight anything that looks out of place and guide you on how to correct it with the relevant credit reference agency. In many cases, simple updates can make a meaningful difference to how lenders view your application.

Why your credit score isn’t the whole story.

The score you see on your credit report is a useful guide to your overall profile, but lenders don’t base their decision purely on that number. Each lender has its own scoring model, appetite for risk and criteria around income, deposit size, property type and more.

That’s why you’ll sometimes hear of people with a “Great” score being declined, and others with a “Fair” or “Poor” score being accepted. What matters most is the combination of:

  • Your income and outgoings (affordability).
  • The detail of your credit history – not just the score.
  • Your deposit and overall loan-to-value.
  • The type of property and the lender’s criteria at the time.

Our job is to interpret your credit file, understand what lenders are looking for and recommend a route that fits your circumstances and future plans.