The consumer peer-to-peer rental market is valued at £15 billion. The UK is positioning itself as the European leader of the sharing economy, contributing a third of Europe’s economic activity in the sector. With companies such as Uber and Airbnb having a great deal of success, we have explored some other innovative sharing economy companies you may be using in the future. The following are listed in no particular order.

1. LoveHomeSwap

Whether you are interested in the sunny shores of California, the heritage of Barcelona or a variety of other iconic holiday spots, LoveHomeSwap does exactly what the title says. Upload a few photos of your home, agree a swap online, and you cut the price of a hotel from your holiday bill.

2. Borrow My Doggy

This site is the first of its kind, founded by a dog lover and RSPCA volunteer. It is reasonably inexpensive and mutually beneficial for dog owners and lovers alike. Plenty of people who adore man’s best friend do not have the space, time or money to own one. Instead they can pay £9.99 a year, covering insurance and other expenses, to walk and look after dogs that happen to live in the area. Several thousand people have signed up across the UK.

3. Turo

Choose from a selection of thousands of unique cars and rent them out from locals. Whether it is an affordable model or a specialty, you can choose to pick up or have your car delivered for up to 35% less than traditional agencies. Convenience and affordability are this company’s USPs.

4. TaskRabbit

If you need help around the house assembling furniture or lifting heavy items on a specific day and time, TaskRabbbit can help you find someone within minutes. Their TaskRabbit Happiness pledge means that Taskers are verified and must undergo an extensive registration process before being accepted.

5. YourParkingSpace

Ever thought about renting out your driveway? Would you pay to find a great parking space in the UK? Use their information on available spaces and pricing on their map to find a parking space convenient for you. You can even reserve a space in advance for a trip lasting a month. "We're delivering real revenue to real people! This year we're on course to deliver £15.2 million in revenue to private driveway owners." - Harrison Woods, CEO

6. Streetbank

Rated as one of the “50 websites you can’t live without” by The Times, this service enables you to borrow items from your neighbours. From rollerblades to a fondue set, you could save a lot of money with this generosity-powered website.

7. Laundrapp

This company will collect, clean and deliver your clothing within hours, saving you time and hassle. There is even a corporate option for businesses.

A common thread with all these companies is that they take something already established and improve it. Whether they are focussing on price points, location, availability or customer service, they are utilising technology to make their industry more accessible and customer friendly. The same is being done with property investment. British Pearl addresses the entry point for investments by lowering it to £100. It also improves the ease of investing, liquidity, and a variety of other elements so that property investment can potentially open up to a much wider demographic.