Gregory Pank is a good old-fashioned hardware store located on Digbeth Highstreet. The shop seems…read moreto be a bit of a hidden gem. It shouldn't be: this place sells probably just about everything a budding DIYer or seasoned craftsperson could want. When you enter the shop your nostrils are filled with the scent of DIY history. Whether you're after glue, polyfiller, drill bits or string (all things I've been in for) you need only ask one of the very knowledgeable staff at the counter and they'll scurry off into the depths of the store to find it (or suggest numerous alternatives if they can't).

I'm going to make some bold statements with this place. First up it is my favourite shop in Acocks…read moreGreen. I also think it must be the best hardware store in Birmingham. Jeffries is a huge hardware business that stocks all the standard nuts and bolts plus a huge selection of outdoor planting, perfect for this time of year, and has a large gardening section at the rear of the store. Recently I was after some fence protector and after a visit to a huge DIY shop felt frazzled by the choice in products, colours and price. One trip to Jeffries and I got exactly what I needed, no fuss, a great price and I parked my car at the rear of the store to load up. I also recently discovered they do key cutting. They stock a wide selection of pet products. The beauty of this place is that they've always got what you need and know exactly what you are asking for. On the very slim chance they don't stock what you are after they know where you should go to get it. Amazing staff and service.

Need a hardware item for your garden and/ home? Take a look here as I'm sure they'll have it! There…read moreare lots of little sections in this shop like their garden hardware, animal treats and carpet sections. It was a nice little surprise when discovering each area here. In summary it's a big hardware store that sells all (or at least most) of the nuts and bolts you need for your home and they have a big garden centre. If they don't have what you want then the staff can tell you where to get it. The shop is mainly for people who want to buy anything to do with DIY for their home. I came in here in search of a few things for home and, I don't mean to offend anybody by stereotyping, as a woman in a hardware store I didn't know where to look first. The staff were friendly and polite enough however to put me in the right direction. If you need any hardware for your home and garden then it's worth giving this store a visit.

Tool Discount Centre…read more Perhaps it was growing up thrilled by the exploits of Tv's McGuyver or maybe it's just a weird fetish of mine but I have a thing for Hardware Stores and more specifically tools. That's right, those pointy sharp edged wooden handled, weighty things that you can swing and sink into earth, chop at wood with or use to open tins of food. Yes I am a tool freak. Chisels, files, hammers, axes, I could go on, but a mere list would not do justice to the beauty and realisation of simply holding such devices in your hands let alone putting them to work. If you're a Selly Oak resident and like me jump at the chance to get hands dirty with some DIY or handy craft, Tool Discount Centre is your best bet on the high street, with a wide range of tools for both inside and out, it's brimming with useful bits of kit and the prices seemed very reasonable.

This is the kind of establishment which gives the customer exactly what you would expect, tools for…read moreall manner of jobs at very low prices. I like the no frills approach of Tool Discount Centre, it is not exactly slick and aesthetically pleasing but that is because it doesn't need to be. This is the place where DIY fanatics go to indulge in a spot of browsing and come away with all manner of obscure items for household improvement work. There aren't too many of these establishments left as the market is now monopolised by places such as Homebase or Wilkos but bear in mind a place like Tool Discount Centre because you will get great service from knowledgeable people at low prices.

I have popped in here a few times, when I have been in the area and always found what I have been…read morelooking for, which is usually something boring and home related - I think last time I bought a couple of plastic storage boxes (yawn!). The store is fairly large inside and stocks a variety of different items for home and garden as you would expect. I like the fact that the staff are helpful and friendly in here and I think that it makes such a difference compared to the, sometimes rather intimidating staff at the big chain DIY stores. They always ask me if I need any help or advice in here and they seem to genuinely want to help their customers. I have found that the prices are fairly cheap for a DIY store too, which is always a bonus. I would recommend this to anyone in the local area!

In the takeaway dominated section of the Bristol Road South, in Northfield, lies a rare commodity…read morein the form of Dennings Home Garden and DIY, which sells (you guessed it!) supplies for homes, gardens, and DIY equipment. A deceptively large store once you get inside, the name may initially sound like it's bitten off a bit more than it can chew, but it certainly makes a very good go at it. Numerous times I've been in looking to pick up one thing or another, and (unlike U2) have always found what I'm looking for. From plants to power tools and flooring to light fittings, you can assume that if you're looking for something in terms of DIY, Dennings will probably have it. Better yet, the shop has a charming, local feel, a much more pleasant atmosphere than the soulless chains, and the staff are always knowledgeable and helpful. Highly recommended.

Since buying a house in the area a couple of years ago I have been dragged, kicking and screaming,…read moreinto the grownup world of DIY. This is something I had hitherto shunned on the basis that I am left-handed and as such at a natural disadvantage when it comes to hammers, nails, power tools and the like. Being a homeowner means that such excuses go out the window and you take on those hundreds of little jobs that need doing. As such, this place has become very useful to me. It might not look much from the outside - in fact, it looks pretty terrible from the outside and is in dire need of a lick of paint (says the DIY expert) but inside it is a treasure trove of washers, screws, drain unblockers, mop buckets, and just about any other product you might need. If you can't find what you're looking for the guy will hunt for it on your behalf and, amazingly, almost never comes up openhanded. He's friendly, helpful and not overpriced. It's actually a pleasure to give him money!

Let's get something straight from the outset, when it comes to DIY I am hopeless and as such I only…read moreever begrudgingly visit a DIY store if my dad asks me to accompany him. So on many an occasion I have found myself inside Kirk's on Raddlebarn Road. It is a store which reminds me of a bygone era, before the high street and before huge chain establishments such as Homebase. The outside of the store has a worn look about it, if anything though it gives the business that added sense of character. The owner of this business seems to have a knack of finding all manner of items which don't seem to be available elsewhere and my dad has often found things at Kirk's which he had long given up hope of locating. It is a friendly place too, with more than reasonable prices and a great level of customer service.

Recommended to me by a person who works at Screwfix, White's is THE place to go for all those…read morethings you cannot readily find or get in your 'usual' DIY outlets. Based in the Gun Quarter, a ten minute walk from the City Centre, White's have a fantastic reputation for all the bits and bobs you need! In my case, I was replacing a few screws on the stand to my electric drumkit. I only needed a few items but getting them individually were proving tough. That's until this place came under my radar! Also, you simply have to go to this store to experience walking into yesteryear. This store is old school, like stepping back into a bygone era. Of course, as this place demonstrates, Birmingham is alive and happening! This can rightly be considered a microcosm of Birmingham's great industrial legacy and it's great to see this store doing so well.

This is my local go to hardware store. They have everything you need for most DIY projects - paint,…read moretools, lighting, gardening tools, fertilisers, weed killer and pesticides, and much much more. They also cut keys and sell Calor gas . I sometimes think this place is like a TARDIS, they stock so much in a small store.

Always got what you need and it's cheaper than anywhere else. Has anything I can think of even if…read morehe doesn't have it in stock the owner will get it in for the following day. The staff are very welcoming and give me advice step by step. Overall a great service!

This is a standard DIY store, which I have only visited once, just because it is quite out of my…read morelocal area. It is fairly basic inside, it is not fancy, but it stocks all the DIY bits and bobs that you would expect. It looks a bit shabby from the outside, but do not let that put you off as the prices here are reasonable and probably less than you would pay at a huge chain store. I would much prefer to come somewhere like this than to a chain store. The staff are pleasant in here and were quite helpful when I popped in. They gave me lots of advice about paintbrushes and painting to be precise, which was actually really useful. It is a good little store and I would recommend it to anyone in the area.

Excellent shop great variety of products for both professional painters and DIYers. Dave the owner…read moreis a friendly chap who has a wealth of knowledge gained in the trade and is more than happy to advise you if you are unsure of anything. Prices better than the larger stores and in many cases online prices as well. Cannot recommend highly enough.

If there's a job to be done around the house, then I'd rather someone else do it than do it myself…read more And I'm lucky(?) in that I follow in my mainland European roots by renting rather than owning my home, so it is usually up to someone else to arrange and carry out repairs. This shop is particularly handy for one thing. The owner must have close links with someone who works at a weather station. He always knows when it will snow and as soon as the blanket of white falls there will be plastic sledges on display. Its either that or he has loads of sledges in storage somewhere and just plonks them out front, but that's not a very mystical or magical explanation. So, when Argos have run out of human-propelled snow vehicles, and you are at a loose end, here is where to come.

If you ever need a light bulb, WD40, a handful of nails or a gazillion other DIY related items,…read morethen this place is king. I have never gone into this shop and been unable to find what I'm looking for. It is stacked from floor to ceiling with useful stuff. The staff are really knowledgable and helpful. The last time I went in I needed some clear grout for the kitchen. Had absolutely no idea where to find it, what it was or how to use it. When I turned up in the shop I also had my son in the pushchair. The guys behind the counter patienty explained what I would need, went to get it for me as I couldn't manoeuvre the pushchair round the narrow shelves and then showed me how to use it. Thy even fitted the grout ino the gun thingy for me. Now, that is hat I call service. The price is good, the service great and it's a bit like a DIY grotto, what more could you possibly want from a local shop.