And you can use an ordinary rake to get the moss out. Kill the weeds by using a lawn weedkiller. Although you say you want a top class lawn, you also say you do not have hours and hours to achieve this. A top class lawn will take days to achieve from where you are starting, both in the current state of the lawn and your inexperience. And then hours and hours every week to keep it that way.
Rake out all the moss, dig out the remnants of any big weeds, kill any growing weeds, rake over the bare patches, cut what grass you have left, sow using a general grass mix and then keep watered until it sprouts. Give it a few weeks and then lightly cut it. Once your lawn is a green patch again, you can then reconsider whether you want or can afford the time to turn it into a 'quality' lawn or just a nice lawn.
'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller
That's good advice from Hogweed. Creating a top class lawn takes a lot of hard work and time. Maintaining one is harder still and is tantamount to an obsession. However, creating a 'nice' lawn is relatively easy and much less demanding to maintain, not to mention a lot less costly!
Posts
I've just done a new area in my back garden as Verd describes. Not difficult
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
And you can use an ordinary rake to get the moss out. Kill the weeds by using a lawn weedkiller. Although you say you want a top class lawn, you also say you do not have hours and hours to achieve this. A top class lawn will take days to achieve from where you are starting, both in the current state of the lawn and your inexperience. And then hours and hours every week to keep it that way.
Rake out all the moss, dig out the remnants of any big weeds, kill any growing weeds, rake over the bare patches, cut what grass you have left, sow using a general grass mix and then keep watered until it sprouts. Give it a few weeks and then lightly cut it. Once your lawn is a green patch again, you can then reconsider whether you want or can afford the time to turn it into a 'quality' lawn or just a nice lawn.
That's good advice from Hogweed. Creating a top class lawn takes a lot of hard work and time. Maintaining one is harder still and is tantamount to an obsession. However, creating a 'nice' lawn is relatively easy and much less demanding to maintain, not to mention a lot less costly!