Problem with lawn

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We bought a house at Sandy Hill in Abbotsford...and indeed the soil is sandy. Our front "lawn" is lumpy, full of clover and moss and rather brownish. We would like to start a new lawn and need some advice:

Should we rototill the old lawn and then level it?
What should we use to enrich the roots of the new lawn? It was suggested that we get a truck load of either fir or hemlock shavings to enrich the soil?
There are some spots of clay in the lawn as well. Should we just add more sand to the existing lawn, filling the valleys caused by the lumps of grass and then just add more top soil or should we start from scratch?
If starting from scratch, what would you advise us to do - should we use sod or seeds? We are on a corner lot and the lawn is an eyesore at the moment.

Conway Lum, Plant problem and pest expert

I would suggest starting a new lawn from scratch by rototilling the existing lawn and incorporating a good quality topsoil.

Generally speaking, the minimum soil depth required to grow a lawn is about 10 to 15 cm (4 to 6 in.) but 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in.) is more desirable. This would be a solid foundation to get the lawn off to a good start.

Most topsoil should already contain some sand and wood products plus other soil amendments. Laying sod would get an instant lawn but is more costly than using seed. It is important to keep up regular maintenance. This makes for a thicker lawn so as to prevent weeds from getting established.

For more information about lawns, see:
Every lawn a garden
Organic lawn care
Lawn care 101

Plus, click on a video below for some practical tips and tricks from Gord Nickel:

How to patch holes in your lawn
How to seed your lawn