We also re-did our back yard and put in some De Anza Zoysia sod from WestCoastTurf.com.
I grew up in the hills of Berkeley, so we never had a lawn. I did a lot of research and picked the Zoysia because it’s supposed to grow slowly and not require much water. It’s also very dense and can be cut short, which I like. And it’s an Asian grass so that goes well with the rest of our yard.
I raked and leveled our back yard a bunch of times before the sod was delivered. I also installed a whole new sprinkler system before this, which I’ve also never done, so I was a little concerned if it was all going to work.
The sod came earlier in the morning and my wife and I got started right away. It doesn’t look like it, but it was hot that day and I didn’t want it to dry out.
It took the two of us almost all day and it was exhausting. But it looked good that evening and even better two weeks later. 
I also bought this reel mower made by Gardena. It’s from Germany and there’s not much info on it, but it had good reviews. Despite being an old school type mower, it’s really easy to use and cuts the grass really well.
So we have a nice back yard now and it’s a great place for our two boys to grow up and play.