So maybe you just bought your first home or moved into a new apartment and you’re tackling your first serious DIY project and there is a tool you don’t own. What do you do? Investing in high quality tools is wise but getting all the items you might want can be expensive depending on how often you’ll use them. Why not start a small neighbor tool share?
Neighbor tool shares can include sharing small hand tools like saws, drills, screwdrivers and wrenches, to more extensive loans like ladders, leaf blowers and table saws. The larger the items, the more you’ll need to set parameters for the who, how and when they are shared.
Here are some simple steps to get started in the process.
- Start by contacting a handful of neighbors or friends nearby that would be interested. Post on social or send emails with the suggestion.
- Together, create and share a list of what people have and are willing to loan. Use a Google sheet that is accessible by everyone interested and updates in real time.
- Start a group on Facebook or other social platform and invite others to join. Spread the word among the neighborhood or apartment complex.
- Create a document that describes expectations for the group—almost like a code of conduct for a sports league. Some considerations for your group guidelines include:
- Be respectful of everyone’s items.
- Return the item in the same or better condition than you borrowed it (in other words, clean it up before you return it).
- Acknowledgement that some tools are more expensive than others and if it breaks, who is responsible for repair?
- Respect for amount of time the tool is being loaned out.
