Back to square one on a shoestring budget

[Tulipmonster]

Our small SW facing garden was a total mess when we moved into the house. I cleared it and had turf laid during the pandemic, and put bulbs into the borders. Last year we moved out for building works and now we’re back, I feel like I’m starting from scratch. The lawn has massive bare patches, and the beds are totally overgrown with borage. Ivy is also staging an invasion over two fences. As is a wisteria but that’s really quite lovely.

I’m an inexperienced gardener and currently on a very tight budget, but I’ve got a few weeks off coming up and would love to get the space usable. I’ve started clearing the borage and ivy but really need suggestions for effective and inexpensive ways to reclaim the space.

Is it worth trying to sow grass seed on the bare patches (do they still count as patches when they’re most of the area?)? What can I stick in the very bare beds? Where do I start? Help!

After we had a kitchen extension, the garden was completely trashed. I bought grass seed and top soil. It took some time to be a proper lawn but it did work.

It's the perfect time to lay grass seed now. Sound like you need some shrubs and or small trees. What do you like? Do you want formal and traditional, a wildlife garden, fruit and veg? There's loads of info on you tube. I like the middle size garden.
Rosemary and sage are pretty indestructible. As are apple trees , jasmine and magnolia.

As a single person with no gardening experience and zero experience would you possibly mind just briefly outlining the steps to achieve please?

This is encouraging - thank you! Did you do anything to prepare the soil? Mine looks very compacted and I’m wondering about tramping around on it in those shoes with spikes…

I love acers and a formal style is well beyond my capabilities/budget so definitely more at the “wildlife friendly” end! I love acers so I’ll try and find a spot for one of those, and good shout on the rosemary and sage. Thank you!