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A lawn can be created quickly by turfing rather than by seeding however, it can be costly and may not reap the result you want if a few basic principles aren't followed. Guides to creating the perfect lawn with turf are plentiful on the internet and advice is freely available from your turf supplier of local garden centre. Begin by selecting the right turf which will depend on the type of wear and tear the lawn gets, the amount of sun or shade it receives and your soil type. Next, spend time and effort preparing the soil. It may need to be treated for weeds. Then it will most likely need to be dug over or rotovated, sand added if laying over heavy soil such as clay. You may need to add lime to adjust the pH and if laying over an existing lawn (not advisable), you may need to add topsoil. Once rolled out to remove lumps and bumps, you can start to lay the turves. This is best done from mid-autumn to late-winter (avoiding overly wet or frosty conditions). Turf can be laid later in the year but may need extra after-care to avoid becoming stressed. Begin laying at the side or in a corner, always working from boards so as not to leave indentations in turves already laid. Stagger the joints of each turf as in brickwork, making sure there are no gaps. Once all the turf has been laid, fill in any gaps with a mixture of sand and soil or compost then level out by lightly rolling or tampering to remove any air pockets under the turves. Keep the newly laid lawn moist but not overly wet, for at least two weeks and mow once the grass has grown to about 5cm, with blades set to a high setting.

Creating a lawn from seed is less expensive than laying turf but it can still be a costly mistake and not give the desired result, if some basic principles aren't followed. Grass seed is best sown from late summer to mid-autumn but it can be sown in mid-spring if you can give the new grass plenty of water. Begin by selecting the right seed to purchase. This will depend on the type of wear and tear the lawn gets, the amount of sun or shade it receives and your soil type. There is a far greater range of seed than turf available to suit particular growing conditions. Lawn seed contains mostly mixed varieties of grasses which can suit luxury (fine leaved) lawns, general purpose (hard wearing) or shady lawns. If choosing a mixture with ryegrass seed, do check that it is suitable for lawn rather than for grazing (agricultural) use. Next, prepare the seed bed. It may need to be treated for weeds. Then it will most likely need to be dug over or rotovated (preferably to a depth of 20cm), sand added and dug over or rotovated again if the soil is heavy, such as clay. Dig in some well-rotted manure or other organic matter (especially on a sandy soil) to hold moisture. You may need to add lime to adjust the pH. Once rolled out to remove lumps and bumps, you should leave the site to settle for as long as possible. Prior to sowing, remove any weeds that may have germinated then rake the surface of the soil in different directions adding some general purpose fertiliser. It is best to sow seed using a seed distributor correctly calibrated to the suppliers instructions, working in parallel rows first lengthways and then widthways, using half the seed on each run. When finished, lightly rake over the sown area. Water with a light sprinkler if no rain has fallen after two or three days.