How to conceal messy carport (on a tight budget)

Snav

We live in a small town, I live on a main road (one of the two that goes from the main part of town to the elementary school) so it's traveled often. Last night I was at the local store and someone who knew me asked me how the house was coming along, we had a small chat about progress. So a customer overheard and commented "oh, is that why your yard is so messy?"



I don't know who this other person was - but she knew who I was and which house was mine. Obviously I'm known as the town scum which gave me the least pleasant feeling.

I know the outside of our house is messy - and I know why and have plans to change it - but it's taking forever. About 3 years ago a horrible storm knocked down our storage shed. The shed was VERY old but VERY packed full of all my remodeling stuff (containers of tools, wood, etc) - up until that point our carport was very tidy.

Well, we haven't rebuilt it, yet, and we moved everything into the carport - which is just a HUGE (but organized and contained) mess of stuff. I know where everything is, but it's so hideous to look at. . . I keep it swept, but there's just so much stuff stacked up it's an eyesore - and a landmark.

So - what can I do to fix/conceal this problem temporarily? I'm sure it'll be another year before I get around to building a storage shed - maybe longer.

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Snav

Ok - I've been kicking this thought around all morning.

What about a privacy fence that's away from the house a bit? Our back yard is fenced in and we did that with pre-fab panels. For concealing the carport I could forgo the panels and just fence it by hand (it would be cheaper) and make it 4' high - 30' long?

Or would that look stupid?

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Scuba_Dave

Is the yard messy, or just the carport ?
Is it viewable on all sides, front & one side...or ?
White lattice makes a good screen, with a black sheet/material maybe 6" behind it
Just sheets will work too if they are big enough...depends upon th ecarport too
Out of site out of mind

I've kept all my "junk" in the back yard
This year I'm going thru & getting rid of/organizing everything now that the garage us built

Snav

The house (and thus the carport) is 75' in from the road - but due to lack of trees it is visible from far away - on both sides of the drive by the yard. (the yard that bumps up against the road is 1-acre long (200 ft) . . . on top of a small hill and we're the only house up here.

Our problem is multi-faceted.
#1 - our yard is really big, making it time consuming and very hard for me to keep it mowed and maintained. I usually mow the front/side and let the back yard go longer between cuttings. It takes me 2 or 3 solid days of work to get it weed-whacked, mowed and tidied up nicely.
We own 3.5 acres, our backyard is a fenced in 3/4 acre an our front/side yard is about 3/4 acre, as well.

#2 Because of the dogs and lack of protective overhead covering I cannot store a lot of these items in the backyard. What can go back there is back there and tarped over (of course, no one's seeing all that stuff).

Here . . I'll take a photo of the problem and post it. Give me a few minutes.

*edit*
Ok - I posted pics, I'm just kidding myself when I say it's organized. Just because I know where everything is doesn't mean it *looks* organized - it looks like crap. LOL

What's in my carport:

3 wood doors - 2 sliding glass doors
Several sheets of greenboard/durrock/plywood
A small dresser/large dresser (awaiting refinishing so they can be used - large dresser will be bathroom vanity)
2 treadmills (fold-up)
1 large workout bench and weights
Lawnmowers (riding and push) and other lawn care things (weed eater, hedge trimmer, etc etc)
2 metal shelves stacked with: plastic containers, tools, paint cans
2 hanging racks that contain: shovels, tools, ropes, extension cords.
More plastic containers that are stacked up
A smoker (rolls in and out)
A wood pile - studs and other woods that can't get wet
Several tool boxes
Stacks of tile - other items needed for my current remodel project.

I have cinderblocks leftover from a previous project that are stacked up on the side of the carport - like a retaining wall. but I use several of them as sawhorses when I cut wood/etc (they're sitting in the driveway)

We have a gravel driveway so that, right there, makes it look even worse. Also something I intend to fix one day.

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cellophane

What about hanging some landscaping fabric up? It would be relatively inexpensive and easy to do solo. Add a 2x PT Sill plate and fasten the bottom of it to that so it doesn't flop around in the breeze.

Snav

The thick black fabric?
Hmm - possibly a zero cost solution. I have a huge roll of it that I found under the house.

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tpolk

you could use it to section garage areas for storage leaving everyday items to front. your mower and cooker can go behind house

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The older I get the better I was

cellophane

that's the stuff.

tpolk

hang the fabric and use cinder blks to hold down bottom

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The older I get the better I was

downunder

Tell those people that you will gladly take any help with putting up another storage building that anyone wants to offer. Or send a letter to "Extreme Home Makeover."

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If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right. If you wouldn't put your name on it, it ain't done right!