Sampsons is one of those places that sort of sells everything. I once went in with a list of the…read moremost obscure stuff imaginable, I think the list included a 40 watt light bulb, some miracle grow, a poker and a bag of turf. Upon entrance the list was taken off me and low and behold within 1 minute all items were on the counter waiting for payment. This is the type of shop Sampsons is, no matter how odd the request they will have it. They are primarily a hardware store but they have recently diversified to the garden market and now offer potted plants and compost. Although on the downside I found the shop very confusing so if you do not know exactly what you are looking for it is best to ask. Sampsons is very reasonable in price and he will sometimes throw in a few extra bits and bobs if he thinks you need them. The only real alternative is Homebase or another big DIY specialist but if you are in the centre of town and you need something no matter how strange (I think they even do plastic spanners and left handed screw drivers) then Sampsons is the place to go.

This is one of the oldest shops in Bangor, it has to be. I have lived here all my life and I don't…read moreremember it not being here. It is based on Hamilton Road which means that it can be tough to get to because of the one-way system but if you park the car in the Asda Car Park it is only a wee hop, skip and a jump across the road so you should be ok. This place stocks everything from garden pots, tools, miracle gro, DIY tools, hammers, spanners, nuts, bolts, brushes, hoes, rakes and basically every type of hardware that you could possibly think of other than light firearms. The staff are knowlegeable and extremely helpful. Always polite and efficent, they make popping in here to pick something up a charm.

We bought a fire grate 12 months ago to replace one fitted some 15 years earlier and used over…read moreChristmas for a few months. We came to light a fire this year and found three of the slats had disintegrated. Sent a photo to Ray Graham's pointing this out and was told that this was expected of cast iron grates if you burnt wood and coal on them. We had subjected the new grate to exactly the same treatment as our old grate which had lasted 15 years plus. Ray Grahams insisted that there was no fault with their product and would not replace it. I posted a negative review at their website but it has never appeared - they clearly only 'allow' postive reviews that score 4/5 and 5/5. As a consequence, one wonders if you can trust any of the reviews you find there .....

Got all my stuff to build my Garden Bar and terrace, good quality products and price and very Covid…read moreaware well done Ray Graham's the place to go

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

This shop really does sell everything!! Great for a day out because they have the coffee shop and…read moreother shops as well to keep you busy! Jackson's is always my first stop for birthday, Christmas and wedding presents! I always find their prices hard to beat as well! Hoping to get back soon to start my Christmas shopping!

From the owner: Our Departments include:…read more Hardware and Homeware Cooks Emporium Jacksons 38 Boutique Lifestyle Coffee Shop the Health Store Lifestyle Interiors We have many great brands across our stores including: Emma Bridgewater, Denby Stellar Le Creuset Nespresso DeWalt Karcher Stanley Toggi Geox A.Vogal Manuka Honey Soaked in Luxury Marco Tozzi Belleek Living Other services include key cutting, Colortrend Paint Mixing! These are just a select few brands across our departments. We would be delighted to welcome you into any of our stores. We aim to provide a really pleasant shopping experience with all the ingredients for a relaxing day, meeting friends or family. Our Lifestyle Coffee Shop is a great meeting place, with fresh scones, homemade traybakes, desserts, sandwiches, lunches and paninis! Hopefully see you soon!

McCune's is a well known DIY shop in Carrickfergus. This is one of the few shops in the town that…read morehas been 'part of the furniture' for as long as I can remember. They sell a range of wallpaper, paint, varnish, in fact, pretty much anything you would need for general DIY. Perfect for someone who has a quick job to do, and doesn't want the hassle of having to go all the way up to Newtownabbey to visit one of the larger DIY stores. They also sell a range of gardening items. As has already been mentioned, the staff are super helpful, especially for someone as clueless as me when I wanted to make my first attempt at wallpapering (it didn't work, but it wasn't due to ill advice, just my poor skills) In addition, McCune's is one of the few places locally that you can get a key cut, so if you ever need a spare key in a hurry, this is the place to go. Nice selection of keyrings too!

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.

I am a fan of Dawson Wrights hardware as they sold me some mouse traps yesterday and I caught a…read moremouse this morning! There is just one more mouse scurrying around my house, but hopefully he will also make his way to micey heaven soon! The staff, a father and son, were very helpful and asked could they help straight away. They showed me the latest in mouse technology, these modern looking black plastic traps which are re-usebale (no thanks!) called sure set mouse trap made by Proctor Pest Stop. They are £3.99 for a set of two. They are perfect if you are a girl like me and think mice are icky. You don't have to mess about with the trap, it sets so simply and it's not one of those traps the mouse can outsmart, leaving you scratching your head when you notice the cheese is gone, but there's no mousey. The men in Dawson Wright's recommended I use peanut butter and it worked a treat. Inside the shop it is very old school, with all manner of nails, clips and tools you could need for any DIY jobs- it's the personal touch of the staff that makes it stand out from the B&Q's in Belfast.

They carry all the good stuff out in front of the store and then haul it back in at night. Somehow…read morethat really says it all for me about Dawson Wright Hardware. Both of the staff regulars that work there are knowledgeable and helpful and they're not afraid to recommend another store for you (something you're taught not to do in America) if they don't carry something. As a matter of fact, the store is a bit jam packed with goods, so if you don't find what you're looking for right away, you're better of asking because you're probably not looking in the right place. The other reason to be sure to talk to the staff is that they keep a great deal of their stock upstairs and out of the way. Most of the fasteners - nails, screws, latches, etc., are also behind the counter. I mean, come on, they've got chicken wire there. And I bought some.