Hi Samkoo and welcome to GoY, the garden does look pretty featureless right now but that means it is a blank canvas for you to work on. Two points, if you can't even walk on the gravel it means it is far too thick you'll need to remove some of it and then see if you can get pots to sit on. Lift all the slabs, roll the soil underneath properly and then either bed the slabs into a mix of sand and cement or, if you prefer concrete them in place. Take things slowly Rome, and gardens, were not built in a day... Think about what plants/shrubs you like and how you could use them. Once you've got some colour it will all look very different. Good luck and come back to us with updates.

welcome from me too.

I certainly would rake the gravel up and bag it and put them somewhere for you to use later. [Or see if you can sell it on Gum tree or similar]
I'd also lift the slabs and stand to one side.
Then decide where you want the hard landscaping. what direction does the sun shine? when will you be sitting out the most often. do you want a table as well as chairs? that is probably the place to relay your pavers using the method as suggested by Moongrower.

think about what you want in the garden and plan it on paper. then do each aspect as a DIY project. I've been here over 20 years and it still isn't 'right', I keep changing my mind :o)

for instant colour have a few pots with cheerful annuals.

above all take your time and reuse as much of the materials as you can. My hubby cut pavers down to make edging strips and laid old bricks on an angle to edge a path.

keep asking for help and do post pictures as you go.

Just thought
will you have a clothes line? plan where that is to go too :o)

And another thought do you have, or are you planning to have, children. This will make a big difference to how you lay out the garden.

Another idea would be to relocate the 'wonky patio slabs' on top of the gravel bed. This will create a flat surface to place some patio furniture & maybe a BBQ if you like BBQ. It will also open up another area of your garden to use for - vegetable garden, some nice grass that just looks nice?

I also like Seaburngirl's idea to bag up the gravel & sell it online, same for patio slabs. Use the money for patio furniture & a new BBQ if you like that. I love BBQ you might have guessed, even in winter.

I would buy some if I wasn't a world away.

Hum not sure putting the paving slabs on top of gravel that is too deep for you to walk on is a good idea Bathgate... I think we've now given Samkoo some ideas and, unless he/she comes back to us with more questions we simply need to sit back.

The slabs can be embedded, level with the surface. Some of the gravel can be removed if it's too deep. Just think it through and act accordingly. It's a way to utilize 2 areas of the garden without cost.

I thought that seemed like a good idea.It would give you a seating area and a bed for growing plants or grass or whatever you fancy.

...and the BBQ can't forget the BBQ :)

I can easily forget the BBQ Bathgate... whilst I am happy to eat outdoors I prefer to cook my food in the kitchen :)

OK well I can eat just about anything off the grill. My latest invention - grilled pineapple rings on a plate over a slice of pound cake, topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream & a cherry - DREAMY!

Ah, I don't have a sweet tooth...

I hate the smell of other peoples BBQs - go outside on a lovely evening to smell the honeysuckle and what can you smell? Lighter fuel and burnt fat.....
We inherited a built in BBQ here but I use it as a plant stand.

Totally agree Stera. when the neighbours both sides decide to BBQ at the same time I really do not appreciate, especially as one lot likes to cremate their food!

All those "other people" seem to be enjoying their BBQ. I'm sorry the wind always blows in the wrong direction for you. Cremate their food? Really?!

Hum... I answered this earlier - no idea what happened to it! Yes, cremate, at least that is what it smells like to both of us. Thanks to climate change we now have very windy summers so there is simply no escaping the smell, personally I think the damned things are anti-social :)