Leveling and regrading the surface

What you are aiming for

A lawn does not need to be dead flat, but it does need an even surface with a gentle fall so rain runs off instead of sitting in hollows. Around buildings the ground should slope away from the walls. A fall of roughly 1–2 cm per meter (about ⅛–¼ in per foot) is enough to shed water without being noticeable.

How to do it

1. Mark the high and low spots. A long straight board with a spirit level on top, or string lines between pegs, shows them quickly.
2. Move soil from the high spots into the low ones with a shovel and a landscape rake. On large plots a small loader or a hired operator saves days.
3. Keep the topsoil separate if you can: strip it, regrade the subsoil, then put the topsoil back as an even layer.
4. Let rain or a thorough watering settle the ground, then fill the hollows that appear.

Why it comes first

Coarse grading moves a lot of soil. Doing it after drainage, topsoil or seed means undoing that work. Fine leveling with a rake comes later, just before sowing, and is a separate job.

Next: install drainage where the ground stays wet, and terrace steep slopes.