We have had a stand alone studio constructed in our back yard at home. The studio includes a bathroom so we needed hot and cold water, plus sewerage and drainage, connected to and from the existing infrastructure.

The project uncovered more challenges than we expected, including having to work around myriad existing pipes and a Yarra Valley Water asset.

Compounding the difficulty of the job was the need for nearly 15 metres of trenching with no access for a digging machine. It was all done by hand.

Stuart and Jim were superstars with the work. Polite and hard working, they were always happy to take the time to discuss the work they were doing and explain or consult on decisions that needed to be made.

The work is first rate. Everything was thought of, including things like insulation for the hot water pipe because it was a long run from the hot water service. They left a very tidy workplace.

Above all, their flexibility in being here when needed by the sparky, who was sharing their trench for his work, and the builder -- not to mention their high level of communication with myself and the other tradies -- was most appreciated.

Highly recommended.

The cost below is for about six days' work (two plumbers x3 days each) and includes materials.

Approximate cost: $3000

This is a follow up review from a recent visit that has changed my opinion of this outlet.

Both value and service seem to have gone backwards in the past six months. A piece of fish is now $7.50 or more... and you have to pay 0.70c for it to be grilled!

But perhaps worse, answering the phone has become optional for them. We tried to call ahead to order (having previously noted the tortuously long waiting times for food to be ready) but the phone wasn't answered. Rightly or wrongly we decided to visit, place an order in person and wait. And wait we did...

With plenty of time to kill -- our order of 5 pieces of fish and medium sized chips took 25 minutes -- it wasn't hard to notice they weren't answering the phone. During the entire time we were there, the phone was not answered once, despite constant ringing.

When challenged on this, we were told it was "because we don't have enough staff to handle the orders". Our response was that it took no longer to take an order over the phone than it did to take one in person. Notwithstanding that, why wouldn't they think for about 5 seconds and put in place a measure for when they are too busy -- like record a message for their phone that says orders will only be taken in store?

Or better still, why not put on more staff to cope with the demand? After all, it's a beach side fish 'n' chip shop. Not unexpectedly, it will get busy from time to time!

Finally, the ridiculously priced chips -- $6 for medium -- rendered what we would expect to get in the city for about $4.

All up, an unsatisfactory experience that reeks of laziness at serving a captive market.

We made it clear that we won't be back and we will be good to our word. Life is too short for bad service and overpriced take away food.

The price below is for one piece of grilled fish and medium chips. Ouch!

Approximate cost: $14.00

Jessie's Pizza in Blackburn South has recently changed hands and the improvement is massive.

The staff are friendly and helpful. You get the sense they take more care over the preparation of the food, too. The shop is always clean -- we've been there three times in the past six weeks and the improvement is obvious.

We generally order a large Godfather with hot salami and a large 50/50 margherita and capricciosa. The ingredients seem fresh (I order at the counter and watch the preparation) and the resultant pizza never seems too oily.

We are very happy to have a good, solid pizza place within walking distance of our home.

The price below is for two large pizzas.

Approximate cost: $15.00

Having had a good experience with Blackburn Motor Body in the past, I had no hesitation in using them again when our Volvo XC60 was hit recently.

We were fortunate that our insurance company, AAMI, was happy to send an assessor to BMB even though they are not an AAMI approved repairer (kudos to AAMI). Once AAMI accepted the quote we were booked in and it was smooth sailing.

The repair is flawless and comes with a five year guarantee. The car was ready when they said it would be, although it took five days to repair due to a delay in sourcing a part.

My only beef was they took out one of child seats, which had been professionally fitted! I explained that they needed to check with owners in future before removing seats or engage a seat fitter themselves to re-fit seats.

Their workshop is new and impressive and their staff are always courteous. The waiting area could do with some sprucing up though.

As we were not at fault, the repair came at no cost to us.

Approximate cost: $0

After an indifferent experience getting my Mini Cooper S serviced at a dealer service centre late in 2012, I decided to try an independent service centre. The experience was surprisingly good.

BM Tech doesn't try to match the level of luxury that a dealer service centre boasts but the rub off is better prices. In my case, a service that was quoted at around $1,000 at the dealer was completed for just under $600 at BM Tech.

I was thrilled with a couple of things. First, one of their people spent nearly half an hour on the phone with me talking about my car, how I drive and what I could expect from a BM Tech service. Second, when I took the vehicle in, it received a thorough assessment and I was given a detailed quote and explanation of what work would be done.

The car was cleaned from top to toe, which was a bonus, plus new number plate protectors were fitted at no cost and without me asking.

The BM Tech people were all very friendly and helpful. I felt in good hands. I doubt I will consider going back to the dealer for my next service.

The price quoted below covers an oil and safety test (as per log book), replacement fluids (oil, brake and windscreen additive), new wiper inserts, a new microfilter and labour.

Approximate cost: $590.00

We recently had two new tyres fitted to a Volvo XC60 and two new tyres fitted to a Mini Cooper S. The work was done on consecutive days with the XC60 first.

Though I found the experience fairly positive, there is an element of "cowboy" about the way these guys seems to work. I get the sense that they quote based on what they think you'll be prepared to pay. For example, when having the tyres for the Mini quoted over the phone, the figure I was given was $250 per tyre for a Dunlop Sport 01. When I went to pay, I was asked what I was quoted and charged accordingly! "Yep, that seems about right" was the response!

I was overcharged by $50 on the quoted price of the XC60 tyres but that was fixed without fuss the next day. For both cars, I chose to wait at the store for the work to be done and it was more or less within the quoted wait time (1.0-1.5 hours).

The waiting area is nice for a tyre store, with free Blue Pod (Lavazza) coffee available. Free wi-fi would be a great extra given the normal wait times are quite long but not long enough for you to leave and achieve something else.

The service was friendly if rushed. I'd have no issue going back to Donnellan's (for a start, the Euro brands they stock like Continental aren't readily stocked by the bigger tyre chains) but the main reason I would go back is that their prices were very competitive.

The prices below are for one Dunlop Sport 01 run flat tyre for a 17" rim.

Approximate cost: $250.00

Morack is a public golf course owned by the City of Whitehorse but run by a mob called GSM, a private company that manages golf courses. This means they operate the pro shop but also maintain the course itself.

Morack is a middling golf experience. It lacks the attention to landscaping that separates the really good courses from those that are average. Bunkers are poorly maintained and drainage in parts of the course could improve. I played there last week (28/3/13) after around 15mm of rain the day before and balls were frequently getting plugged in muddy areas. Given there had been no rain to speak of for a couple of weeks beforehand, this was a shame.

It is a short course so won't challenge good golfers. It is also very forgiving outside of the fairways, with little bush and undergrowth. On the flip side, this makes it an excellent beginners' course.

I find Morack to be expensive for the experience it offers. The price below is for 18 holes mid week. For this, I would expect a step up in overall quality. The pro shop service is, however, very good.

Approximate cost: $23.00

Really pleased Grill'd has come to my area. Though not exactly cheap, you are pretty much always guaranteed of a good quality burger.

We choose the Caesar Palace chicken burger, Garden Goodness vegetarian burger or, if we're really hungry, the Mighty Melbourne beef burger. We particularly like the soft wholemeal buns and fresh ingredients.

The actual store is pretty nice, too, given it's in a run-of-the-mill shopping centre. If we didn't have little kids we'd happily eat in.

There are two things Grill'd could do better. First, their prices are creeping up to the point where they just can't compete for a family like ours with pizza or fish 'n' chips. It makes them very much an occasional rather than regular option. The chips in particular are fiendishly expensive for what you get.

Second, sometimes the presentation of the take away burger leaves a bit to be desired, with ingredients spilling out the side and the bun squashed by the packaging.

Overall, though, a very good experience. The price below is for a Caeser's Palace burger plus snack-size chips.

Approximate cost: $16.00

We regularly order take away fish 'n' chips from Beach Box when visiting family living in Mt Martha. Being close to the beach, it's perfect for a sunny late afternoon in summer.

Our experience is generally good. We recommended the crumbed fish, which is as good as we've tried anywhere. Servings of chips are usually quite generous.

There are two knocks on Beach Box. First, it gets incredibly busy and at times the wait for food can be tortuously long. It is a very good idea to put their phone number in your phone and call ahead -- and demand that they give you a realistic time to collect your food!

Second, none of the staff seem that happy to be there. The service is OK but a smile wouldn't kill anyone.

That said, the quality of their food keeps us coming back.

The approximate cost below is for a piece of fish, single serve of chips and a potato cake.

Approximate cost: $10.00

We had Victorian Shutters & Shades install both internal and external blinds to our new home. What we really appreciated was they offer much more than a measure and quote service. A member of their staff gave us some terrific design advice and also assisted us with choosing the right materials to deal with heat and light.

I felt the actual installation of the internal blinds was a little rushed and the overall cost was by no means cheap. But the finished work is terrific and everyone we dealt with was friendly and patient as we worked through various fabric and colour options.

We are thrilled with the results and happily recommend Victorian Shutters & Shades. The cost below is for 10 internal windows and 2 external blinds, but several of the internal windows ended up with multiple blinds due to their size.

Approximate cost: $9,000.00