You’ve all heard this by now: Hong Kong has one of the smallest flat sizes in the major cities in the world. The latest flats from one of the city’s top developer? A cozy 161 sq. ft. Even if you knocked down the walls, you would not be able to fit a sedan into space.
Under such conditions, it is no wonder that the desire for smarter living and better use of space is on the rise. Companies such as Spacebox and Boxful have made headway in helping families outsource their storage. But what if you just need something you don’t own on an ad-hoc basis, for once or twice a year? A new breed of item rentals startups, including Rent-A-Suitcase, Gaifong is helping families go one step further: to rent a wide range of products, without the need to even buy and store them in the first place:
- Vacuum Cleaners
Why store these bulky machines at home, when your neighbors have one which you can use? Gaifong, a mobile application that does neighbour-to-neighbour product rental
s, allows you to request any item from people nearby – they call this “Making a Wish” – and rent on-demand. Just take the elevator, pick-up, and return when you’re done. - Suitcases
Rent-a-Suitcase, an online-to-offline travel gear rental company, allows you to book a wide range of suitcases from their store, including a newest line of Rimowa suitcases. This certainly saves a lot of space for something you use once or twice a year only! Door-to-door delivery service is available from store to door, and the stock is very well taken care of. - The new Nintendo Switch
Hardcore gamers will of course want to buy this (games like Zelda famously takes 160 hours to fully complete!) But casual gamers who play only when nephews and nieces come over, or when there’s a house party, would do well to rent instead of buy. Starting from as low as $37 a day on Gaifong, including controllers and games and Mario Kart.
- Camping tent and gear
Once the fall hits, you’ll definitely want to go camping in one of Hong Kong’s many beaches or Islands (tried Grass Island, anyone?) Rather than waste money on a low-quality tent, why not just rent one? Worry Free Camper and Gogo-camp have affordable camping packages starting from $264, so that you don’t have to cobble everything together. - Electric Drill
This one’s a no-brainer – how often do you use an electric drill? (answer: less than 10 minutes a year!) It makes little sense to own one. There are about 50 drills on Gaifong, spread out around Hong Kong – of course you can send Wish too. The going price is around $20 per use – make sure you are familiar with your home’s wiring before you drill!
- Kitchen Appliances
Food dehydrators, sous-vide cookers, air-fryers, bread makers, even a raclette machine? Impress your friends with these unique products which you can now rent, instead of buy. The rule is, though, that you have to clean them before returning them to your neighbour. But this is certainly better than splashing out thousands and cluttering up your cupboard.
Will Hong Kong lead the way in smart city living and a more efficient use of the earth’s resources? We certainly hope so!
Gaifong: https://www.gaifongapp.com/
Worry-Free Camper: http://www.worry3camper.com/ecampgear
Rent-a-suitcase:
Spacebox:
Boxful: http://www.boxful.com
This article is brought to you by Gaifong. Visit their website to learn more about neighbour-to-neighbour product rentals.
