How can I raise my credit score before buying a home?

Short answerPay every bill on time, pay down revolving balances below about 30% of their limits, and avoid opening new credit or financing large purchases before you apply. Dispute genuine errors on your reports, but do not close old accounts, since that can shorten your history. Most score improvements from these steps show up within one to three billing cycles.

Reviewed by Juan Fernando Romero, NMLS 2557318Updated October 14, 2026

The details

Becoming an authorized user on a long-standing, low-balance account can help, but some scoring models discount authorized-user history.

Avoid credit repair companies that promise specific score increases; the legitimate steps above are the same ones they would take.

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Conventional Loans

A conventional loan is a mortgage not insured by the government that follows Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac guidelines.

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FHA Loans

An FHA loan is a government-insured mortgage that allows 3.5% down with a credit score of 580 or higher, or 10% down with a score from 500 to 579.