I had two air conditioners installed over winter by Atmosphere Air Conditioning. The guy that owns the company has to be one of the nicest people to deal with on the phone that I've ever encountered. He was lovely. An installer came out over two days to get the job done. He arrived on time and was very friendly and chatty. He did a great job. The only thing I can fault is he didn't cover over any of my furniture and dust from the inside wall and outside brick went all over the place! Can't fault their price or the quality job he did though.

Approximate cost: $1200

I called Fencing Warehouse for a quote on having my backyard fence replaced. It took a few days longer than expected for the guy to come out and give me a quote as he didn't come when he said he would. He was extremely friendly though when he did arrive, but his price was more expensive than some of the others I also received quotes from. I'm sure they'd do a good job, but there's better value for money out there.

Approximate cost: $1500

If you are looking to get a fence put in or replaced around your property, give these guys a call. They will pass along your details to three contractors who will then come out and give you quotes. Makes it easier than calling a bunch of places yourself! While the contractors prices will vary according to their own labour costs, Our Town Fencing provides all the fencing equipment and stock. They stock everything, from Colorbond, to pool fencing, to decorative gates to custom made things. They're worth a call. And if you want to do the job yourself, you can just buy all your supplies from them!

Approximate cost: $1500

I called these guys up for a quote when we wanted to convert our single garage into another room. Their slogan is "Don't Be Late". The guy wasn't late, but one minute later and he would have been. He was very friendly and got the quote to me fast, but their prices were quite a bit more expensive than others for the same job and decided not to go with their service because of this.

Approximate cost: $4500

We converted our single garage into another room and these guys did the job. They came out over two days and got it done fast! They were extremely reasonable with their prices compared to other companies. They were very professional, very friendly and kept everything very clean! They arrived on time and were lovely to deal with. I couldn't recommend them highly enough!

Approximate cost: $3700

Greater Union at Glendale is probably the best cinema currently located in Newcastle/Maitland. It has large theatres with big screens and comfy seats where the arm rests go up. They always have the largest selection of new movies to see as well. They have the option of 3D movies and they have a large games room with a variety of gaming machines. There are plenty of toilets in the bathrooms and they also hold big overnight movie marathons throughout the year around public holidays. With that being said, they are, however, the most expensive of all the cinemas as well, with an adult ticket costing $16, $13 for a student and $11.50 for a child. Naturally, as cinemas go, the food is also really expensive, making a trip to the movies a significant expense for families.

Approximate cost: $11.50-$16

I flew to America using United Airlines in February of this year. I have flown many different airline companies over to the States and United has been the worst. The service is the standard, nothing special... no real wow factor there. My main complaint is with the size of the seats and their level of comfort. United Airlines has economy seats that are smaller than normal, and are impossible to get comfortable in. And when you are on a flight for 15 hours, this is so essential. You can basically kiss any chance of sleeping goodbye. Their televisions for entertainment were also bad. They were tiny little flip down screens in the aisles of the plane. They were spaced way too far apart to make viewing in-flight entertainment enjoyable... there was one either right above your head and you found yourself looking up getting a crink in the neck the whole flight, or it was so far away you had to squint to watch it properly. Meals were good though. And if your smaller in size, like myself, then if you're not on the aisle seat, you can't see the TVs at all.

Approximate cost: $-

Jb HiFi is renowned for its huge variety of CDs, DVDs, blu-ray, computers, entertainment and other electrical goods. The Glendale store is no exception. It is huge. They are always willing to negotiate price on the larger electrical items and they have a range of CDS and movies that no where else can beat. While their larger items (computers, TVs, sound systems etc) are extremely competitive on price, their DVDs and Blu-Ray aren't. They are cheap yes, but without fail, Big W is always cheaper even if just by a dollar or two. However, what sets JB HiFi apart is that anything they do not have they can order in for you, and they are more likely to have exactly what you are looking for. The Glendale store I cannot commend on customer service. They have been two occasions where my husband and I have waited a full hour for someone to come serve us. Plenty of staff saw us looking interested in an item yet no one approached us because it "wasn't their area". Thie customer service has huge areas of improvement in the Glendale store.

Approximate cost: $Varies

I LOVE Aquila Carpet Cleaning! I have used them twice now when moving out of rental properties. The man who owns the business is very friendly, he arrives on time and he does a very quick but thorough job. You simply cannot find cheaper in the Newcastle area either.

Approximate cost: $70+

I have always wanted to buy something from Lorna Jane but just can't justify paying the prices for their merchandise in something I am just going to be getting sweaty and smelly in anyways. I realise the clothing they make is good quality, but you can still be very comfortable and look nice in something that costs half as much. Friendliness of staff is average.

Approximate cost: $expensive