Post extension wrecked garden

We recently had an extension and the removed ground was piled into the garden. So now it is sandy and full of stones and some building waste. We want to put it back to lawn and beds but not quite sure where to start. So should we rotivate, remove stones, rotivate in new top soil, just put top soil on top, use seed or sods, etc. Any advice welcome!

 

Hallo Douglas,
you've got a fair old job on your hands there and I would suggest you clear it as thoroughly as you are able as it will pay off in the long run.
Don't rush it and remember to reward yourself for your achievements .
Welcome to Gardeners Corner and we do LOVE progress piccies please,
Jenny namaste

 

Hello and welcome.

When my mate moved into his brand new house, just built, he was only in for a short time when the lovely green lawn started to die. On advice from people more knowledgeable than him (or me) he decided to investigate the ground, and found loads of sand and rubble just below the surface. The builders and simply levelled the ground and then thrown turf over the top.

My mate spent weeks digging and removing great lumps of rubble.

He told me some time afterwards that if he had to do it all again with the benefit of hindsight, he'd just hire a mini digger to scrape off the top, and then get a lorry load of top soil in.

That's what my mate said. I can't really say because I've never had that particular problem.