Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste • Hacker News Board

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#41

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:38 AM UTC

ThePinion wrote: post #38

GouacheApp wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Totally fair point — and really appreciate the honest feedback. Our goal is to build a platform where people can learn, educate, rent, and share tools within a community that loves DIY. The “Explore” section is part of our effort to surface great tutorials and ideas, but we hear you — the rental experience should be front and center. We’re working on making that more clear from the start. Thanks again for the insight…

Just to piggyback off this I had a similar thought. I read your post about the tool rental, got to the page and immediately saw random articles which unfortunately this AI age has got me to distrust that things are human written/curated when just presented with no context. Seeing the rental and more community features would be best, then when you like the concept/community it makes sense to get invested in the posted…

Really appreciate that — and totally agree.

We’re working on bringing the rental and community features to the forefront so it’s clear from the start what Patio is about. In a world flooded with AI content, we get that leading with articles can feel impersonal without context.

The goal is to build trust through people and tools first — then let the content support that experience. Thanks for the kind words and thoughtful feedback!

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#42

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:42 AM UTC

VWWHFSfQ wrote: post #40

siavosh wrote: post #39

I had a similar idea when I was living in a tiny apartment and trying to do woodworking on my kitchen table. I would have loved to pay someone nearby to use a planar or jointer once in a while. My biggest mental block for a site like this was the litigious culture we have where someone injured themselves and sues the tool owner or vice versa etc.

> the litigious culture we have If somebody damages your expensive tool, or you are injured by their faulty tool, and they refuse to compensate you, what do you think should happen?

Totally valid concern — and one we take seriously.

In a world where things can go wrong and legal issues can arise, it’s important to have safeguards. We're currently working on adding optional insurance, ID verification, and deposits to reduce the risk on both sides. The goal is to make sure there’s a clear process if something gets damaged or if someone gets hurt — without immediately resorting to legal action.

Ultimately, we want to support a trusted community, but we also know that trust needs real protections behind it, especially in a culture where liability matters.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#43

Post by SamBam » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:49 AM UTC

Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.)

I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river.

I loved the free aspect because that just made sense. We're in a dense urban neighborhood, why do we really need an impact driver for ever single house, or a wheelbarrow, or an oscillating saw? If I know my neighbor wants one, I'm glad to lend it. The world needs less consumption and more sharing.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#44

Post by tayo42 » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:50 AM UTC

pruetj wrote: post #6

I like the idea. The rental section has a lot of potential imo. It makes me wonder if there’s room for the personal property rental business in tools like there is for housing and cars. I do a lot of DIY and tend to acquire a lot of the tools I use if I think they are generic enough or I’ll repeat a similar job in the future but there’s also jobs I do where I’ll happily borrow from a friend. For example, I just built…

> I think DIY is growing, it’s a great way to save money and it’s only becoming easier with YouTube to help you through most any job.

Tangent on DIY... I keep trying and keep needing to call in a professional eventually when I get out of my depth or break something worse. Or youtube isn't quite right.

Youtube seems to only have stuff that's recent. If your model isn't in the last 5-10 years or built that recently. Like I was trying swap out some light switches, on youtube it looked easy, the actual box in the wall I have looked different i guess because it was wired almost 40 years ago now.

What would be an amazing resource is someway to ask a pro for like 10 min so I can go do it my self with some clear personalized instructions. That would probably be expensive since labor is the expensive part of almost every job though.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#45

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:52 AM UTC

siavosh wrote: post #39

I had a similar idea when I was living in a tiny apartment and trying to do woodworking on my kitchen table. I would have loved to pay someone nearby to use a planar or jointer once in a while. My biggest mental block for a site like this was the litigious culture we have where someone injured themselves and sues the tool owner or vice versa etc.

Totally get that — and it’s a big reason why platforms like this haven’t taken off sooner.

We’ve heard the same concern from a lot of people, and we’re working on solutions like optional insurance, ID verification, and clear guidelines to help reduce that risk for everyone involved. The goal is to make borrowing tools feel as natural and safe as borrowing a cup of sugar from a neighbor — but with real protections in place when it matters.

And yes — your example is exactly the kind of use case we’re building for. Tools like planers and jointers are expensive, bulky, and rarely used often enough to justify owning.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#46

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 3:55 AM UTC

SamBam wrote: post #43

Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.) I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river. I loved the free aspect bec…

Absolutely — couldn’t agree more.

In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby.

The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less we all need to buy — and the better it is for everyone.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#47

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 4:00 AM UTC

SamBam wrote: post #43

Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.) I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river. I loved the free aspect bec…

Curious though — when you were lending or borrowing items, did you ever run into any issues or friction? Things like no-shows, damage, or unclear expectations? We’re trying to learn from real experiences to make it smoother for everyone.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#48

Post by J7jKW2AAsgXhWm » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 4:14 AM UTC

GouacheApp wrote: post #46

SamBam wrote: post #43

Many years ago there was NeighborGoods, a site that facilitated free loans of tools from neighbors. (Possibly they had paid options, but I only remember the free part myself.) I loved it. I put all my own tools up on it for anyone to use. A few people borrowed my drill once it twice. I borrowed a ladder from someone. Some people even had their kayaks on there, as they lived near the river. I loved the free aspect bec…

Absolutely — couldn’t agree more. In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby. The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less…

Tool lending library is the best I’ve found so far for tools. The best part is not having to store all the tools.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#49

Post by dangus » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 4:22 AM UTC

For the news feed, it makes me think “Pinterest for home improvement,” which is pretty “meh” to me. Great, another ad feed. Why would I want to be here instead of a subreddit?

For tool rental, the first thought in my mind is that you’re going to be competing with hardware store giants like Home Depot or your country’s equivalent: many places already exist that already rent tools and equipment and they aren’t hard to find on the Internet. There are also a lot of local community options like rental libraries.

Re: Show HN: Patio – Rent tools, learn DIY, reduce waste

#50

Post by GouacheApp » Sun, Jun 01, 2025, 4:23 AM UTC

J7jKW2AAsgXhWm wrote: post #48

GouacheApp wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely — couldn’t agree more. In most neighborhoods, there’s really no need for everyone to own the same tools, especially for things you use once or twice a year. That mindset of sharing over consuming is exactly what we’re trying to support with Patio — whether it's lending for free, renting, or just making it easier to know who has what nearby. The more we can encourage that kind of local connection, the less…

Tool lending library is the best I’ve found so far for tools. The best part is not having to store all the tools.

Absolutely — not having to store all the tools is a huge plus. That’s a big part of what we’re aiming for with Patio too: easy access to tools without the hassle of ownership or storage.