I once put my old E36 BMW back together in the parking lot outside of my apartment following a front-end crash.

I'd have probably been more comfortable in a garage, wherein: I could leave things as they sat and would know that they'd be exactly where I left them when returning the next day.

But I didn't have a garage nearby that I could use. I kept the area clean and picked up all of my tools and detritus if I went in even for as much as a sandwich, and worked as expediently as my time would allow as I puzzled out this new-to-me problem of "bodywork."

I didn't get hear any complaints. The owner of the place would stop sometimes on his way through to make sure I was doing OK and would ask if I needed anything, and soon enough the car was put together better than it ever was on my watch.