Does a mortgage quote leave a credit file footprint?

kittykitten

Hi everyone,

I'm a first time buyer looking to take the (very scary!:eek:) plunge into the world of mortgages. I have a fairly good credit file and a decent deposit, and now need to start looking for a mortgage.

My first stop should probably be a broker, and I've looked at a lot of the very helpful :A broker advice on here. But I'd also like to consider some of the mortgage providers that don't operate through brokers, in true MSE style.

My concern is obviously I've never done this before, and being the slightly obsessive person that I am will want to take my time and search as wide as I can to make sure I'm getting the right deal. But I know if I were to do this when applying for other types of credit I'd have to be careful, as multiple searches look bad on my credit file. Is this the same for mortgages, or can I make enquiries for quotes with as many mortgage providers as I like (plus a broker) wothout doing any harm to my credit file?

Thanks to anyone who understands my ramblings!:)

GMS

Getting a quote should not involve a credit search. A request for a decision in pronciple will though.

You are doing the right thing with looking for direct deals too but it may be easier if you ask a broker to search everywhere for you, and offer to pay a fee for the service. It may save you time and effort, and if the broker can access a suitable deal it takes away the application process from you.