This place looks like it's been caught in a time warp, its amazing. Walking through its doors is…read morelike travelling back through time. I'm not sure why anyone would like to travel back in time to a hardware shop but there ya go. It stocks all the dedicated D.I.Yer would need to help them in their quest to ruin their living room by trying to mount their own shelves or flat screen tv. The staff know everything their is to know about the contents of the shop and will help you no end, if it's required.

This is a great little pokey shop on the Lisburn road. With so many new outlets on the Lisburn road…read morecatering for everything from Estate Agents to interior design, its nice to see an old well maintained premises. But lets be honest, for most of us hardware is hardware and I for one like the thought that I can buy my garden spade form a place my grandfather bought his garden spade from. The guys that work look like they have fun, they stock just about anything that a DIY quiz would mention but don't plan any of your weekly hammer purchasing trips on a Wednesday. As they will be having a wee afternoon off!!! Visiting Mr Guinness i gather

Popped in here yesterday to pick up some electrical terminal blocks to fit a ceiling light, that…read moresounded very professional didn't it? To be honest I only had a vague idea of what I was looking for but the blokes in Castle helped me out as soon as I walked through the door. This is an old school DIY and hardware store - they seem to have everything behind that counter. The good thing about coming here rather than going to a chain shop is that I was able to walk in ask an expert and leave within 5 minutes. I also didn't have to buy anything I didn't need. They stock plumbing, electrical and decorating equipment including paint but I would suggest just going in and speaking to the guys who work there - they couldn't have been more helpful. What's more, the electrical blocks cost me under £2! Great value!

Castle DIY is an independent hardware store on the Antrim Road, just off by the Cavehill Road…read moreintersection. It's a great place for a bit of local knowledge. I'm not a driver so if something goes wrong or I need to get some paint, its hassle to go to one of the big B&Q or the other big stores. The staff have a great knowledge of everything they sell. I needed some orange paint and whilst they didn't have a certain insane colour (not my choice!), but they offered to get it delivered in withouth any extra charge. Pleasant, knowledgeable guys who will go that extra mile to help.

One of those shops that seems to have all sorts of household items that you often don't realise you…read moreneed til you walk in here. Mops, buckets, mats, bathroom mirrors... there's a bit of everything in here.

Place has always been a joke.... This is one of only a few…read moreDJ shops in ni so they charge scandaless prices ...went in store for a £5 cable only to be pushed onto a £65 interface which was not needed best part the interface was only £45 online store

One of the cons in being a single lady is you have to do things like this for yourself. Boys just…read moreknow about gadgets intrinsically right? Anyway, anytime I break something electronicy I own I gotta go in and explain vaguely what I'm after, usually some form of cable or attachment thingy. This place are really helpful though. They're more kinda specialized than places like Curry's and they are known for their sound equipment. My housemate makes her own electronic music on Ableton and recommends this place for music production stuff. And she really knows what she's talking about. Guys who are into gadgets would wet themselves upon entering this store, for me its just a chore though! A great little shop with helpful staff.

Homebase is an excellent store for DIY, decorating, lighting, home, gardening, bathroom/kitchen…read morefurniture and accessories. I'm definitely not a DIY, gardening or domestic type person - in fact I positively hate such things! That as it may be, I actually enjoy a (rare) visit to Homebase. I love that this particular store is large, but not huge enough to be bewildering, as some massive DIY Stores are. Staff are very helpful. On a recent trip to pick up padlocks and outdoor security light bulbs I located staff immediately and they assisted me in finding the items I needed. Often I just pop in and out of Homebase quickly to grab what I need. Sometimes however, I do like to have a browse amongst the flowers, plants and garden furniture. This store is always my first choice for all my DIY needs.

There collection of neon paint and cheap wood is what I visit for. This one is a bit isolated, but…read moregreat parking and close to other shops to finish off your shopping after grabbing your neon paints and hula hoops. They have a little toy section to keep kids entertained. The pricing is good, nothing is too expensive and things are of a good quality. If you're looking paints wood, door knobs or plants go here.

This is one of those places where you've always been able to get your paint and other DIY malarkey…read more They're also pretty popular as an establishment where you can hire all sorts of tools and equipment whether you're tidying up the garden or building an extension. You can hire equipment from hedge clippers and lawn rakers to kangos and cement mixers. It seems the only thing they don't do is a crane, but I'm sure if you asked them... It's a family owned business and in recent years has diversified to offer other services. They now do a line of party items, Halloween costumes, and even floral arrangements for weddings. Still, their hire services for equipment is pretty useful, especially if you're sitting about the house with nothing to do and think, "I reckon that wall would look better with a hole in it..."