Best way of improving credit in my new circumstances

NPHammer

Multiple defaults really are bad news. Now they have become defaults you have left an unchangeable stain of some significance on your credit file.

Settled defaults are not viewed much more favourably (if at all) by most potential lenders than unsettled, so your good intentions to settle these will help you very little in getting future credit any time soon.

It's a hard pill to swallow but you are going to have a very hard time getting any credit from mainstream lenders at a good rate with defaults on your file. This will be the case for 6 years from the default date until it leaves your file.

You might not want to hear this but it is the reality of your situation.