Placemakers is basically a delux hardware store. They've got everything you could possibly need to…read moremake your DIY dream come true... Personally, i'm more of a Bunnings girl. The staff are waaaay nicer and definitely efficient. Don't expect any sort of hello when you enter Placemakers. Need assistance? The 10 staff on the floor are suddenly no where to be found. We came in recently to buy outdoor rubbish bins. We found them (sans lids, which were missing) and headed to the check-out counter, which was manned by one lone ranger. After watching them struggle to process the transaction of the lady in front of us we gave up and drove down the road to Bunnings! Pick up your game Placemakers!

Having a hardware store in your neighborhood, albeit a small one, is unbelievably handy. Especially…read moreone like this, which has all manner of knick knacks. I usually head straight to the counter to ask for what I'm after as I'm hopeless at finding things in shops like this.

We are currently building a house at Hobsonville Point and Apollo Bathrooms and Kitchens are doing…read moreour kitchen. We went there to talk with Nathan, the guy in charge of our kitchen and he was so helpful. We were tossing up between lots of different colours and textures and he wasn't pushy but definitely gave very good advice where we needed it. He was able to take us through the whole build and how it would all play out. In front of him he had our plans but he also was able to show us example of how it would look made up with their show kitchens that they have on display. This was great as we could see our plans transform from lines on a page to a real 3D object that we could touch, open and experience. It got me really excited and gave us a way better picture of what we wanted.

Service are very good Recommend them any time. Not Albany though as I had some issues there with…read moremanagement a while ago.

The place to go for all things DIY. This place is huge. The 'other' giant brand of superstore is…read moreright next door. Today it's a weedeater I'm after and there's a big selection to choose from. The staff are easy to find and happy to get a more knowledgable person if they think it will help. That's pretty good service. Tempted to go next door to see if the pricing is any different between the two stores.

My home is near perfect, and it is laid out just the way I like it, but apparently babies prefer…read morecarpets to shiny wooden floorboards. Plus the Auckland winters and a carpet free lounge also don't mix... But these are just facts my wife provided me, as she elbowed me in the ribcage as I rushed to go play golf. So on my way to the club, I decided it would be the right thing to do, and I made a slight detour to stop at Flooring Xtra in Albany. The only reason I knew about them in the first place, is because they are opposite the golf shop. The shop doesn't look like much from street level, but once you're inside, it is filled with samples and off cuts for you to feel and look at. The staff seems well informed, and the prices appeared reasonable. It is a good place to get valuable information about carpeting or any flooring issues you might have. In the end I decided on getting a cheap rug; this way my son can do with it as he likes, and we can put it away in the summer.