If you want the grass to be greener on your side of the block but you want to save some money installing a lawn, then why not do the task yourself? You don't need to hire a team of experts to get your yard lush and green. Here is how to install a lawn; it's not as complicated as you might think.
Firstly, there are two different installation processes - that of sod and seed. Do you want to plant grass into the soil or do you want to plant seeds that grass will eventually sprout from? By doing the former, you will have to pay a lot upfront but deal with less later. With the latter, you can save money in the short-term, but remember, your lawn won't be ready to go right away and you'll have to reap what you sow; a seed lawn is vulnerable to erosion and weed growth.
But before you sod or seed, there are some basic steps you must take. First, measure the area you want to install the lawn in and then ask your local gardening experts about what species of grass you should install. The answer to that question will depend on how much time you are willing to put into maintaining your lawn and the climate you live in. In fact, only certain species of grass can be installed during certain seasons.
Now you must prepare the ground for its new lawn - pull out every single weed, get rid of rocks. You can put to work a rotary tiller and pre-fertilize your lawn with compost (you'll want to dig into your lawn about 6 inches). Also, you should tamp down the soil with a roller that is filled with water about halfway.
Finally, you can install the lawn. If you are seeding, then make sure it's not summer time. You can only seed in fall, spring, and the beginning of winter. Now you must plant the seeds, but in order to do this you have to buy the appropriate number of seeds for the square footage of your lawn. You can use a seed spreader or scatter the seeds by hand. Water the young seeds as much as possible.
On top of this, you want to ensure that your lawn will be in the sunshine six hours of day at the very least. If you can't be sure of this, consider installing gravel.
As for sod, you can buy it from a sod farm. This initial cost will be much more for seed and the process will require a lot more labor. Ideal sod will have roots that are moist, only green grass, and will not fall apart easily. Once you get your sod, you must roll it out across your lawn - but you can only really do this during spring or summer (unless you live in a climate that is mostly mild). Water the sod as much as you would the seeds, until they emerge - then you can water them two times every week.