Levines is a furniture store manned almost entirely by a team of smiling chaps in neatly pressed…read morewhite shirts who are happy to swap advice on the beds, armchairs and cupboards sold here. As well as selling simple, discount furniture at cheap prices it stocks a wide range of beds - including orthopaedic ones - which frankly is a godsend if you have a jippy shoulder (like me). Despite being relatively young for such things their range of reclining chairs is pretty awe inspiring and they are happy to deliver at a time that is convenient. They are also great at providing brilliant customer service - when I got a bit confused by a recent purchase (a headboard for the afore mentioned orthopaedic bed, which just wouldn't sit right) they were really kind and patient - even when it turned out I was trying to fit it upside down. A really lovely shop.

We ordered a bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers and headboard from Levine's…read more We were initially told we'd have to wait a couple of weeks for the headboard which we said was fine. The first delivery only included the bed (the drawers and wardrobe had been left behind). We rearranged for the drawers and wardrobe and waited in throughout the delivery slot assigned but nobody ever showed up and nobody ever communicated this to us. We were then told that the 2 week wait on the headboard would be another month. In the end, it took the best part of 4 months for the headboard to be delivered. No discount was ever offered by management despite this terrible service. I would seriously discourage anybody using Levine's in future. I would however say that the furniture is decent quality (when it eventually arrives).

I must admit that until I moved over West Bromwich way, I'd never heard of Betel. Having swung by…read morethis shop a few times, I was very interested to learn that it deals mostly in furniture restored by people taken in by the Betel charity and taught, among other things, how to restore furniture. The amount of stuff in the shop on West Bromwich High Street is staggering. There are tables, bookcases, chairs, stools, footrests, wardrobes, chests of drawers, the lot. The prices of a lot of the stuff are quite high - we're talking £150 for a restored bookcase. Generally this is because it's proper old-school hand-carved stuff and not horrific 1970s cast-offs which line their aisles. Most of it's not particularly my taste (or in my price range) but the quality is fantastic and probably far better than you'd find in a lot of antique shops.

Whilst the sign says it's a cash and carry, don't worry it's open to everyone and so there is no…read moreneed to fret that you aren't a business owner. Based in an old Victorian building you enter through an old wooden gateway into what can only be described as a two bay parking space. To get into the shop you clamber a few high stone steps and traverse a rickety parquet floor that makes you sad it isn't fixed and set in place. You will be surrounded by old metal racking that is sadly not for sale and decommissioned shop fridges but when you finally get inside you'll be surrounded by an array of organised boxes of stock for a good rummage. From DIY necessities, kitchen equipment, a tupperware aisle, stationery and toys it at times is a time capsule of days gone by with the stock they have. Behind the counter are all the electrical goods and they even have a boxed walkmen. When bonfire night approaches this is the place to get your fireworks from. It's a bit of a treasure trove and I dar you to not buy at least one thing every time you visit. You'll discover all sorts of things you didn't know you needed in here.

Warley's is a bit of a crazy find. You have to walk through a haphazard parquet floored parking…read morearea just to get to the front door, and then once inside it is like a weird rabbit warren of amazing tat. That's not to say the stuff in here is junk - it's not - it's just you couldn't come here with a shopping list, you just have to trust they might have something you need and then wander. Things you can definitely rely on finding here: - Whitefurze storage containers in all sizes, and a range of other storage tubs and jars - GIANT (and I mean *massive*) pans and steel cooking implements - Clocks. Lots of clocks. And random picture frames all jumbled up in a giant cardboard box. - Walkman cassette players - still boxed. (!!!) - Household stuff - appliances (hairdryers, lamps etc.) and plug extension leads and laundry baskets and other miscellaneous domestic items. - Weird multipacks of stationery, like chalks and biros, and notepads and tape.

To be a garden centre or a nursery or not to be a garden centre or a nursery? That is the question…read more It seems these days that many nurseries eventually diversify along the garden centre route - installing cafes, aquatics centres and farm shops. Fortunately, Hirons continues to buck the trend. This has always been and continues to be an actual functioning nursery providing high class garden and house plants to Birmingham families for years. Hirons retains its old fashioned feel, and hasn't changed since I used to visit here with my dad - who loves the place to bits incidentally. There's no smoke or mirrors here. You can see the staff getting there hands dirty, potting up the wonderful plants on old newspaper that they've actually grown on site. Garden centres have their place, but if you're a plant lover first and foremost this is the place for you. The staff at this family run firm really know their stuff, and you'll leave with unusual plants and specialist potting soil rather than a goldfish and a pot of homemade marmalade.

This nursery keeps gardening alive all year long. It has a lovely selection of Christmas trees in…read moreDecember and pleasant flower and veggie seeds in Spring. My favourite bit though is the drive. Each delivery the store receives causes a traffic back up because trucks really cannot fit through the gates but always try. Its an old business but remains a refreshing stop in the Perry Barr neighborhood.

OK, so I'm a bit biased, as I tend to automatically love anything green. However, Bournville Garden…read moreCentre is a particularly good haven for all things bright and beautiful that you may fancy in your garden. Personally, I would like almost everything that they stock in my garden. But this is sadly unfeasible. As well as the beautiful plant displays outside, they also have a lovely shop inside, with lots of lovely Emma Bridgewater-style gardening ornamentation as well as things for the boys like barbecues and fire pits. They also do a great Christmas tree service: they will cut and plant to your requirements as well as carrying the darn thing out to your car. The shop always looks amazing at Christmas as well, with lots of lovely hand-crafted decorations. They have their own store card as well, which is great if you're a regular. Which I am. Even if I just spend most of my time strolling around looking at plants rather than actually buying anything. Perhaps I need to get out more....

I'm a big fan of this place. As a garden centre it's a lot bigger than you'd expect, given it's…read morelocation in sleepy Bourenville. There is a large outdoor section with a huge selection of plants and shrubs and the interior boasts a whole host of goods, from the decorative to the useful. As I'm currently taming my large and unruly back garden, I'm often in here looking for dangerous chemicals! The have a 'Gardening Club' reward scheme that is free to join and actually works out as a genuine reward scheme - many is the time I've got to the counter to pay and fished out my card to receive a discount. They also post you a leaflet every month or so with a list of offers and some vouchers.

Latif's has become something of a Birmingham institution for me and I have started categorising…read morepeople by those that know and love it and those that don't. For me you can't call yourself a true Brummie until you have experience this place. An almost palace of cheap and cheerful shopping they stock pretty much everything from home ware, clothes, furniture, garden products, electrical, lights, toys and even sweets and food. Spread over 3 floors once inside you might struggle to escape. I visit quite often as they have a lot of cheap things I use around festival season and Christmas. It is well worth a visit and really you haven't lived until you've spent an hour here.

If you are moving house and are on a budget or you are a student just taking up residence in…read moreBirmingham I think it's worth checking out Latifs. The place has EVERYTHING and it's all cheap as chips. There's so much that you can end up getting a little lost, without even knowing where to start. Some might prefer to go a little more upmarket, but I have no problem at all when you can kit out your whole flat and get change from a fiver (I exaggerate but you get my point). Even though it's cheap it's not all throwaway stuff, I bought some glasses there when I moved to my new apartment and the quality is pretty decent. As well as all the practical things you will need you can also find some very surreal and kitch decorative things. There are three floors dedicated to kitchenware, furniture, bedding, lighting and electrical goods, gardening equipment, tools, food and drink, cleaning products... see, everything! I recommend going by car or with a willingness to carry bags. And expect to leave there with a bunch of useless things you never intended to buy on your shopping trip (I still have the lenticular portrait of a tiger on my wall to this day).

Always has a large selection groceries. toys .sft drinks .dog food and treats recommended.read more

If you haven't discovered Home Bargains yet you're missing out. I always come here before going to…read morethe supermarket. They often have the brand names I am devoted to at a fraction of the price you can get them anywhere else. Why pay £4 for Sensodyne when I can get it here for 99p?! Also, toilet rolls. Don't buy them anywhere else. I could go on for a shocking amount of time about the great deals that can be found here. Admittedly, just like any other discount store some of the stock is a little naff and of a low quality but the branded products are worth the trip. They stock toiletries, dried/packet food, cleaning products, some general household products, toys, confectionary, drinks, alcohol and usually an isle or two of seasonal goods, anything from gardening equipment to fancy dress. But really you're never sure what you might find until you visit. I've not had much contact with the staff. I often find that they're joking around whilst staking the sheaves and there always seems to be a lot of them. I wouldn't say they are particularly friendly but I guess it isn't the sort of experience they are going for and it certainly isn't something I would expect so I don't find myself disappointed. The store always seems clean and in decent order. The only shame is that there is always a queue. On most occasions you won't be able to just pop in. You'll have to go down every isle hunting out deals and things you never knew you wanted. Then you'll have to wait because everyone else has a huge basket full of goodies too! Go. Now. Save money!!

Did you know we spend a third of our lives in bed? That's why it's important to get the right bed…read morefor you, you deserve it. I went to The Bed Warehouse in Perry Barr to find i could choose from over 2000 frames, mattresses, headboards and so on. This place was perfect if you're in the market for anything bed related. Graham Hollier is the boss, he started the warehouse over twenty years ago and tells me He's still the first in, in the morning and the last to leave the showroom at night. It's a family run business and the team make sure you leave the store absolutely satisfied. Silentnight, Myer's, Sleepeeze Sealy are among other top brands at reasonable prices with free delivery. I had a super king-sized leather bed with silentnight mattress and it's the best bed in the world, you'll have to take my word for it as my girlfriend reads these reviews!!!