Can I get a mortgage with bad credit?

Bad credit doesn’t close the door on a mortgage — but it usually means a specialist lender and a slightly higher rate. The shape of the bad credit matters more than the score itself.

What lenders actually care about

• How old the credit event is.
• How big the default or CCJ was.
• Whether it’s satisfied (settled).
• The pattern — one-off vs repeated.
• Recent conduct — last 12 months of bank statements.

Specialist vs high-street

High-street lenders score automatically; one CCJ in the last 2 years often triggers a decline. Specialist “adverse credit” lenders manually underwrite — they’ll look at context and accept far more.

What you can do

• Get all three credit reports and fix any errors.
• Make sure settled defaults are marked “satisfied”.
• Avoid new credit applications for 6+ months before applying.
• Stop using payday loans — many lenders decline on these alone.
• Aim for a 15–25% deposit to widen lender choice.

A specialist broker is essential here — placing the case at the right lender is what separates an offer from a decline.

If you have bad credit and want to explore your mortgage options, speak to a specialist adviser. You can also check your potential borrowing with our affordability calculator.