A yard the kids could play in again in Mudgeeraba

A friend in Mudgeeraba gave me Clear Out's number, and I sat on it for a fortnight before ringing. Our backyard had become a holding area for everything we didn't want inside: old toys, a broken trampoline, garden rubbish and a cubby house falling apart.

Broken pavers, a car seat, old timber, half a dozen garbage bags of who-knows-what, an old barbecue and a sun-bleached shade sail.

Mudgeeraba is a village and acreage suburb at the foot of the hinterland, and getting things out isn't always simple. Gravel tracks and paddock access are fine for our trucks.

I half expected to be put on hold, but it was the bloke who'd actually be doing the job. He asked about stairs and parking, which made me think he'd done this a few times.

Two of them turned up right on time in a tipper truck. Before they lifted anything, they walked the route from the pile to the truck and pointed out a couple of spots where they'd put down protection.

The swing set was concreted in. The crew cut the legs at ground level and capped the stubs, so nobody would trip over them.

When they were done, they swept up and walked me around to check. I paid the price we'd agreed, and that was it. The whole thing took less time than I'd spent worrying about it.

My advice to anyone in the same situation is not to wait as long as I did. The relief was worth more than the cost.