With today’s reality of stricter mortgage qualification rules, it has never been more important to plan ahead when buying a home.

There are several missteps you can take that may seriously jeopardize your chances of approval for the amount you require to purchase your home.

And even after you’ve received an approval, you don’t want to risk having your lender change their mind before closing if you adjust such things as your credit or debt levels. It’s not uncommon for lenders to pull new credit bureaus prior to funding, especially if there’s a lengthy amount of time between your approval date and when your mortgage is actually set to fund.

The following is a list of things you’ll want to avoid if you plan on purchasing a new home in the near future.

1. Don't apply for new credit

Don’t apply for new credit: It may seem natural to apply for a credit card at a home improvement store or a furniture store when you are about to become a homeowner, but applying for credit can lower your credit score. Not only will you lose a few points because of a credit inquiry, but if you are approved for new credit, a lender may worry that you will spend up to your new credit limit and then default on your loan.

2. Don’t close any credit accounts

You may be feeling that this is a good time to get your financial house in order by closing unused credit accounts or transferring your debt to a new credit card with a zero-interest balance transfer offer.  While that’s a smart move financially, it’s a bad one for your credit score because you lose points when you have a higher usage of debt compared to your limit on one credit card and to your overall credit availability. Wait until your closing is complete before you make these changes

3. Don’t move your money around without a paper trail

Your lender will need the most recent bank statements before you go to settlement, so if you have any unusual deposits you will need to provide complete documentation of where the money came from. If possible, it’s best to move the cash you will need for your home purchase into one account before you apply for a mortgage. If not, make sure you have complete and accurate records readily available.

4. Don’t increase your debts

 In addition to your credit score, your debt-to-income ratio is extremely important to a loan approval.  If you take on more debt you could be in danger of going above the maximum acceptable debt-to-income ratio.

5. Don’t skip a payment or make a late payment

One of the most important elements of a credit score is your history of on-time, in-full payments, so don’t get so caught up in your move that you forget to keep up with paying basic bills.

6. Don’t buy a car

You may be feeling that a new car would be a nice addition to the driveway of your new home.  Resist that feeling. Even if you can easily afford a new car, the depletion of your savings or the addition of a new car loan could derail your mortgage application.  Wait until after you have moved to switch to a new car.

7. Don’t change jobs if you can help it

While a job change could mean a raise or a path to a better future, it could also delay your settlement.  Your lender needs to verify employment and will need pay stubs to prove your new income before your loan can go to settlement.

8. Don’t spend your savings

You’ll need cash on hand at the settlement for your down payment and closing costs and your lender may even verify your cash reserves one more time, so make sure the funds stay in place. In other words, no matter how hard it is at this exciting time, it’s better to do nothing than to do anything.