Half of Gen Z fear their credit score will cost them a home.

New research from Loqbox found that 49% of Gen Z adults worry their credit history will block them from buying a home in a survey of 2,000 UK adults aged 18 to 28.

But... Your credit score is not a number lenders actually see.

Mortgage lenders look at your credit report — the full record of how you've handled borrowing. The score you see on Experian, Equifax or ClearScore is a guide for you. Not for them. Each lender pulls your file and runs it through their own system.

So chasing a magic three-digit number is the wrong fight. What's on the report is what counts.

Late payments, defaults, CCJs and bankruptcies stay on file for six years. Lenders want to see on-time payments, stable addresses, and borrowing you actually manage. A small credit card, paid off in full each month, can help. It proves you borrow and repay reliably.

Taking on new debt just before you apply? Bad move. But no credit history at all is also a problem. There's nothing to prove you're a good payer.

This is where a good mortgage adviser helps; they can pull and review your credit reports, spot issues you've missed (old addresses, errors, financial links to an ex), and tell you exactly what to fix before you apply.

That Loqbox research found only one in five have never checked their report at all.

Don't be that person; if you're worried, speak to a broker and review.

The number on the app is not your fate. Your report is.

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