Help to get a better lawn for my kids to play

s30avo

i have recently moved into a new home. My kids love to play outside, however, the garden is horrible it has big weeds and nettles growing up through the grass and it runs at a bit of a slope! I was wondering if I dug all the weeds up then put lots of top soil over the grass to make it level and put a good grass seed down would it grow better grass? It’s not the prettiest of all the gardens in my street. Any help would be deeply appreciated. P.s I’m a total newbie to any gardening 

s30avo

s30avo

s30avo

s30avo

s30avo

It’s only a small area, 5mx5m

gardeninglily1

As you have little’uns and a new house I assume that you would like to keep cost down. I would take all the weeds up which can take a couple of weeks work to ensure you have all the perennial weeds out. You need to spend some time taking and firming the soil. Then invest in ready to lay turf. Either you can do it or pay someone to do it. There is lots of advice online how to do it yourself.   It will be ready to play on in a few weeks (plenty of water needed). 

gardeninglily1

*raking not taking 🙄

s30avo

Would I be quicker to put plastic membrane over the lot and put a few inches of top soil then turf on top? Would that work?

autumnglory

Definitely don't try to grow turf over plastic, there would be no drainage. Gardeninglily has given good advice. You could spray it with weedkiller if you don't want to weed by hand and then lay the topsoil and turf.

s30avo

I think I’d be there for longer than a week weeding by hand. It appears to be 50/50 grass and weed ratio! What weed killer would you advise to spray over the garden that would kill the majority of them? And would the weeds not come through the top soil and eventually the new turf?