If you’re a tinkerer, you may have the beginnings of dozens of projects laying around your yard. At some point, though, you may want to reclaim your yard so that you can use it for outdoor adventures. To prevent the decluttering from becoming a mess in itself, it’s important to do the process in an orderly way. With a few simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to establishing a relaxing outdoor retreat.
Sort Everything
When taking on multiple projects at once, it’s easy to store parts for your projects in a disorganized fashion. A lot of junk that clutters up a yard is just tools and parts that you set aside to use later, then never actually put away. Therefore, before you can begin to declutter your yard, it’s important to sort these various parts into specific categories such as tools, metal scrap, leftover parts, lawn décor, and so on. This will help give you a better idea of what you have in your yard so that you can then begin getting rid of things that you don’t need anymore. Plus, for the parts that you do keep, sorting will help to make it easier to finish any remaining projects as you move forward. Be liberal with your trash pile, like the fact that something has been lying forgotten in your yard this long may be indication enough that it’s time to toss it out.
Get Rid of the Big Junk
Although projects make a great distraction, the best projects are those that you’ll actually be able to finish. For example, if you have an old car that you once intended to restore but have since realized it will be too expensive, it makes sense to make money for your junk car instead of letting it sit and rot. Waiting until you get enough cash, enough time, or enough know-how just prolongs the inevitable conclusion that your junk car is never getting put together, and time won’t be kind to the exposed parts. Unless you’re actively working on it on a regular basis, and recently, it’s time to cash out and get your yard space back.
Find Containers
One of the big problems with starting projects in your yard is that it’s easy to lose pieces as the grass grows. Therefore, once you’ve decided what you’re going to keep, you need to decide where you’re going to keep it. Metal pieces laying around the yard are hazardous, and if your garage just doesn’t have the space for shelving, you may need to consider investing in a shed with extra shelving to make sure things don’t drift back across the whole yard again. Even if you’re putting pieces in plastic bins, these need to be moved in a shed or garage if you actually want to keep your belongings secure from animals, weather, and the tendency to leave things out of their designated place.
Designate a Specific Space
Moving forward, it’s important to designate a specific space in your yard in which you will do your projects. Rather than letting your projects take over your entire yard, you can find a specific corner in your yard that isn’t currently used so that you can turn it into your project corner. Once you choose a space for your projects, you can use gravel or concrete to transform the space to make it more conducive to getting work done.
Given the scale of a project yard, it makes sense to ask for help during the decluttering process. If you don’t, you may find that you become overwhelmed with all that needs to be done to the point that you give up. If you have help, though, you will be able to split the work and ensure that someone is always there to encourage you when you get frustrated.
