Help with new lawn

Hi guys,
My wife and I have just finished building our house and have made an attempt at doing the lawn. We did all the work ourself but don't think we have done it right at all (see photo links).
Our prep was:
Spread the top soil
Rake and roll (removing stones) over a period of 3 weeks
Final rake
Sow seed
Water daily

The grass has come in some places but not others. In other areas we have a lot of weeds (image 150516968), and in 1 particular area it looks like the ground has been scorched (image 150449750) despite being in the shade of a tree.
If anyone could offer some help and advice on what I should do/products to use to try and make something from this it is greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,
Andrew

 

Welcome to GC Andrew.

Did you use a weed killer before laying the topsoil?
Did you lay enough seed with some extra to allow for some seed failure and bird theft?

 

Hi Sheal,

Thanks for the quick reply.
I didn't weed kill before hand...never even thought to do that.

Yea I was very generous with the lawn seed. In the places it hasn't come there is still grass seed on the ground, but it hasn't germinated,

 

I wouldn't recommend this on a new lawn usually but I suggest you put down a weed killer (not a weed and feed) before attempting to make the lawn good. I think it has to be left a minimum of six weeks before you can progress.

After treating it I would then rake loose the bare patches and re-seed covering with either a fine layer of compost or topsoil, from there on you'll know about keeping it watered. Grass seed loses it's viability quite quickly so if what you have is old, I suggest you replace it.