Horrible Lawn..

I would give up if I were you. Depends on how big it is, but I would lay a black membrane over it, which I got from the builders merchants. It allows water thro' but no light, so stops weeds. Then I put a layer of pea shingle down.

The soil was pretty poor, which is ideal for ornamental grasses. I cut some holes in the black membrane and planted some. My front garden has looked very neat and tidy for 10 years now.

Yes it does depend on the size but if not too big I might dig it all up, dig out the weeds properly , rake it level and then lay new turf. Rolls of new turf are not too expensive

I have done what Inverglen has suggested, although I managed to kill my tiny back lawn by cutting the grass too short in early winter, and I therefore didn't have the work of digging it up as it had turned to mud all by itself!.

New turf gives you an instant "new garden" look and I laid mine this spring and am very pleased with the result. I do have a tiny garden though.

It probably boils down to whether putting in the work of digging up the area you have and starting over is worth it in terms of the workload. If you really enjoy having grass then it probably is, even if you have a largeish area. If you want something different and a chance to design an area with grasses or borders that are easier maintenance but still look good then Craftnutter's suggestion sounds perfect.

Thanks, guys.
The lawn isn't too big, but as I rent my house, I'm not able to take it all up and stone it, which is what I'd prefer. Neither can I afford to turf somebody else's lawn for them. I don't mind spending my money on flowers for the back though, lol.

Although there are lots of weeds, it appears to be mainly dandelion so today I went out and bought some Verdone. The grass does need it's first cut but I think tomorrow I'm going to use the weedkiller and then cut the lawn in 3 or 4 days time. Next weekend would be best I reckon to give the Verdone time to work.