• Register on the electoral roll. If your name’s not on there, you’ll find it much harder to get credit. Go to the GOV.UK website to find out how to register to vote online or by post.
• Check for mistakes on your file. Even having just a slightly wrong address can affect your score. So make sure you check all the details and report any incorrect information straight away.
• Pay your bills on time. Paying a phone landline or internet contract on time is a great way to prove to lenders that you can manage your finances.
• Check if you’re linked to another person. Having a spouse, friend, or family member’s credit rating linked to yours through a joint account could affect your personal rating if they have a poor score.
• Check for fraudulent activity. If something on your credit report is wrong or doesn’t apply to you, contact the credit reference agency to have your file updated. For example, if someone applied for credit in your name without your knowledge.
• County Court Judgements (CCJs). Receiving any county court judgments for debt will seriously affect your credit score. If you’re having problems keeping up with payments, find free debt advice online.
• High levels of existing debt. Ideally, you should pay off any outstanding debt before applying for new credit. This is because banks, building societies, and credit card companies might be hesitant about lending you more if you already have a lot of debt.
• Moving home a lot. Lenders feel more comfortable if they see that you’ve lived at one address for a considerable period.
• Keep your credit utilisation low. Your credit utilisation is how much of your available credit limit you use. For example, if you have a credit limit of £2,000 and you’ve used £1,000 of that, your credit utilisation is 50%, so you’re using half of your credit limit. Usually, using less of your available credit will be seen positively by lenders.

The first step is finding out your credit score. Services like Clear Score offer a free credit check.