Preparing credit for a home purchase involves reviewing reports for errors, reducing utilization below 30%, and maintaining on-time payments, ideally starting 6 to 12 months in advance. While lenders often look for a FICO score of 620 or higher for conventional loans, FHA loans may accept scores as low as 500. For detailed steps on building your credit for a mortgage, visit Experian . What Credit Score Is Needed To Buy a House? | TransUnion