Comment: The nerve-wracking race to secure a decent rental place

I think I might have found The One.

After what feels like years of doomed Rightmove searches, I've finally viewed a place that ticks most of our boxes.

The problem now is convincing a landlord who's never had to deal with pet-owning tenants before that our furry family members are a risk worth taking.

So I've been building my case. I've taken pictures of all three of them at their most appealing. The dog is in his usual state - asleep. The cats are posing by their bowls. They're small and elderly and the camera captures this non-threatening, 'our days of needlessly chewing stuff are done', status. Then, much like a covering letter for a job application, I've been trying to sell us in a single page of A4 (well, a single, fairly short email).

We work from home a lot, so there'd be no issue with the dog barking (actually, yapping) away to himself, getting on the neighbours' nerves.

We take very good care of our current home - in fact, we've attached some pictures to prove it!

We can start paying rent right away, even though we won't realistically be moving out for a month at least. Oh, and we can pay a few months' rent up front if needed.

Fingers crossed this does the trick, and that no similarly qualified - but pet-free - potential tenants are also circling.

I'm hoping this is third time lucky, after a mixed bag of viewings earlier in the week.

First there was the place so horrible I left within two minutes - only to find that it had been taken off Rightmove by the end of the day. Someone must have been keen - or maybe just more desperate.

Then there was the nice-but-exceedingly-small one that was never going to work, however lovely the smart (but mini) kitchen and teeny conservatory may have been.

Keep your fingers crossed for a good result on this one. People keep telling me there's more to life than Rightmove and I'd love to find out if it's true.