When you apply for a home loan, a 'hard enquiry' for credit occurs when the lender requests a copy of your credit report. A note will be made in your credit file, and there will be a small downward impact on your credit score. Although the enquiry will stay in your report for five years, there will only be a serious downward impact if you make lots of applications within a short time. Even if you're in the habit of making frequent applications for credit cards (which is not itself a good idea) you're unlikely to be applying to refinance your home loan on a regular basis. Just do your research thoroughly and find a loan that will suit you for a good number of years.