And why someone should totally steal this idea and make it happen

The “Aha!” Moment

So here’s the thing that’s been bugging me for years. Every time I move to a new place — whether it’s for work, school, or just because I wanted a change — I face the same ridiculous problem. I find a great apartment, sign the lease, get the keys, and then… I’m standing in an empty space with absolutely nothing.

No fridge. No washing machine. No plates, no nothing.

And I’m thinking, “Great, now I need to buy a $800 refrigerator for a place I’m only staying in for 8 months?” It makes zero sense, but that’s exactly what most of us do. We buy all this stuff, use it temporarily, and then either sell it at a loss or somehow drag it to the next place.

There has to be a better way, right?

The Idea That Won’t Leave Me Alone

What if there was a service that just… brought you everything you needed? Like, imagine this: you move into your new place, open an app, check off what you need from a list, and boom — within a few days, a team shows up with a refrigerator, microwave, some basic furniture, plates, cutlery, whatever you picked.

They set it all up, make sure everything works, and you just pay a monthly fee. When you’re ready to move out, they come pick it all up. No buying, no selling, no dragging a couch up three flights of stairs.

I’m basically talking about Netflix, but for household stuff.

Why This Could Actually Work

The obvious reasons:

  • People move way more than they used to
  • Remote work means people can live anywhere
  • Students, young professionals, corporate relocations — there’s a huge market
  • Nobody wants to buy expensive appliances for temporary stays

The not-so-obvious reasons:

  • It’s actually better for the environment (one fridge serves multiple people over time)
  • You could offer better quality items than people would normally buy for temporary use
  • Maintenance is included, so no dealing with broken appliances
  • You could update/upgrade items easily

How I’d Make Money

Keep it simple:

  • Monthly subscription packages (basic, premium, custom)
  • Maybe $200–400/month depending on what they choose
  • Delivery and setup fee (or make it free for longer commitments)
  • Corporate contracts for companies that relocate employees a lot

The beauty is that once you have the inventory, the same items keep making money over and over. A refrigerator that costs $500 could potentially earn $200/month for years.

The Practical Stuff (The Boring But Important Parts)

Getting the inventory without going broke: This is where it gets interesting. Instead of buying everything new, hit up the second-hand market hard. Think about it:

  • Appliance stores have tons of returned items
  • People sell barely-used stuff all the time
  • End-of-lease returns from other rental companies
  • Estate sales, moving sales, business liquidations

You could probably get quality items for 30–50% of retail cost.

What you’d need team-wise:

  • Service team (customer support, scheduling, quality control)
  • Warehouse team (storage, cleaning, inventory management)
  • Technical team (repairs, maintenance, installations)
  • Someone to handle money stuff (billing, bookkeeping, not much needed at first)

The logistics:

  • Rent a warehouse space
  • Get some delivery trucks (or partner with a delivery service)
  • Build a simple website/app for customers to browse and select items
  • Set up systems to track what’s where and when it needs maintenance

Why Someone Should Actually Do This

I keep seeing the same problems everywhere:

  • My friends constantly complaining about this exact issue
  • Corporate housing is expensive and limited
  • Students especially get screwed by having to buy everything new
  • The whole “gig economy” thing means people move around more

And honestly? The solutions that exist now are pretty bad. There are some furniture rental companies, but they’re expensive and limited. There are some appliance rental places, but they’re usually focused on long-term rentals or people with bad credit.

Nobody’s doing the full package with good quality items, reasonable prices, and actually decent service.

The Challenges (Because I’m Not Completely Naive)

Things could go wrong:

  • Items get damaged or stolen (insurance and deposits help)
  • Seasonal demand (summer = lots of moves, winter = not so much)
  • Competition from established players
  • Managing inventory and logistics gets complicated as you grow

Money stuff:

  • Big upfront investment in inventory
  • Need working capital for operations
  • Customer acquisition costs
  • Balancing growth with cash flow

But honestly? Most of these are solvable problems, not deal-breakers.

Who Should Build This

I think about this business idea all the time, but I’m not in a position to start it myself right now. But someone should, because:

Perfect for:

  • Someone with logistics/operations experience
  • People who understand the rental/moving industry
  • Entrepreneurs who like asset-heavy businesses
  • Anyone who’s lived the temporary housing struggle

Start small:

  • Pick one city to test the concept
  • Start with just appliances or just furniture
  • Build partnerships with local real estate agents
  • Get feedback and iterate

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about making money (though it could be quite profitable). It’s about solving a real problem that affects millions of people. How many hours do we all waste shopping for stuff we’ll use temporarily? How much money do we waste buying things we’ll sell at a loss?

Plus, it’s better for the environment. Instead of everyone buying their own refrigerator that sits empty half the time, we’re maximizing the use of each item.

My Challenge to You

If you’re reading this and thinking “hmm, this actually makes sense,” then maybe you should look into it. Do some research in your city:

  • How many people move annually?
  • What’s the average length of stay for renters?
  • Are there existing competitors?
  • What would people pay for this service?

Start small, test the concept, see what happens.

And if you do end up building this business, I have one request: make it actually good. Don’t be like those companies that have a great idea but execute it poorly. Make the website easy to use, show up on time, take care of the items, and treat customers well.

Because honestly, in most cities, if you just do those basic things well, you’ll probably crush any competition.

Why I’m Sharing This

Some people might think I’m crazy for posting a business idea publicly. “What if someone steals it?” Well, here’s the thing — ideas are pretty worthless without execution. And if someone reads this and actually builds a great business from it, that’s awesome. The world needs more solutions to real problems.

Plus, maybe if enough people see this, someone will actually build it, and then I can be a customer instead of just a guy with an idea.

So there you go. My business idea that won’t leave me alone. Someone should really make this happen.

What do you think? Am I onto something here, or am I missing something obvious? Would you use a service like this? Let me know in the comments — I’m genuinely curious about other people’s experiences with this whole temporary housing thing.