How do I level out a sloping lawn?

[NewspaperTaxis]

Somebody came and levelled out a front flowerbed and inserted a metal border - not bad but it hit rock so couldn't go all the way down. (See picture). To level that, I guess I get a load of topsoil and smooth it over into the lawn, but would you hoe up the existing lawn first or chuck the soil over the growing grass (which I feel a bit bad about, killing healthy grass, not that it makes much odds in the long run...)

Secondly, and more importantly, I've noticed the large back garden slopes down on the left side. This means in heavy rain, it all gathers as a lake on one side, of course. Short of having the whole lot landscaped and re-turfed, which I don't want to do, is there a way of levelling it up? It's not just for the rain situation, I've just kind of noticed it might need doing. Would you do it with sharp sand and a particular spreader, so it levels up over the course of a year? Any suggestions?

Bump... this wasn't too dumb a question, was it?

Not daft at all.

I'd cut it into turf, put topsoil down and replace the turf. Use/borrow a garden roller to help.

If you don't mind reseeding then just use your topsoil and reseed idea on top of the old grass, the results will probably be neater in the long run.

Thanks you, pretty straightforward! However, how would one level out a big long lawn, some 100ft long, just sloping down in a way that is only maybe one or two per cent but noticeable once you notice it? Would sharp sand and a spreader do the trick? Is this a 'thing'?

You might need to look into what would retain the extra material you put down. If the ground is sloping just adding extra sand/topsoil might not stay in place when it rains/ over time. I have a sloped garden as we are on a bit of a hill and so we have levels with retaining walls. Obviously thats a more extreme slope than you suggest you have, but even on our gentle sloping bits I couldn't just pile up topsoil to level it out as it will end up sliding down the slope over time without something holding it in place.

Might be worth getting a gardener/landscaper out for their opinion, someone might be able to provide a free quote and advise what is possible then you could just have a go yourself if you feel able.

Thanks, guess that's the way to go!