Mike Lemmon June 15, 2015 7:57am

Have a ladder that’s collecting dust 364 days per year? Or do you need a special saw for one project and don’t want to drop 100 bucks at Home Depot to have to sell it on Craigslist after? Maybe you should give the sharing economy a try.

A new app by Seattle startup MyNeighbor is working to connect people who have stuff to lend to other people who need it. So maybe you can make your lawnmower or leaf blower pay for itself by renting it to neighbors! It also allows people to offer their services through the app, and includes some neighborly suggestions such as house sitting, dog walking, or guitar lessons.

MyNeighbor joins a host of other apps in the sharing economy that focus on different areas. For example, AirBnb for renting your home, and Sidecar for renting your car. The sharing economy movement wants to create a world where people can easily get access to what they need rather than having to own everything.

When we downloaded the app, we could see a variety of home improvement items, sporting equipment, and electronics available in Phinney, Laurelhurst, Queen Anne and more neighborhoods. We even saw a listing for baby sitting services. The app is brand new, so we didn’t see anything specifically in Green Lake yet, but it seems promising to our eyes.

Beyond wanting the availability of more items and services available, we’d like to see a clearer way to establish trust among neighbors. And what happens if the item you lend comes back broken? According to MyNeighbor’s FAQ, these areas will be enhanced in the future.

Maybe you’ll be the first to offer something in Green Lake? The app is currently available for Apple and Android.