The cheapest bid for repairs or renovations on your home is rarely the best choice.

Your top priority should be finding an experienced contractor with a long history in your community who will do the job right and stand by his or her work.

Contractors trying to win your business strictly on price often do so by planning to use cheaper materials, budgeting too little time for a job.

If you're lucky, the result won't be quite as nice or long-lasting as you had hoped.

If you're unlucky, you'll be stuck with a shabby repair or renovation that will cost hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars to fix or redo.

The bids from reputable contractors who aren't looking to cut corners are often only 5% or 10% more than the lowest bid. But you'll be 100% more satisfied with the result.

You should never hire "travelers" who peddle siding, paint jobs and other home improvements door-to-door.

Their game is to hook homeowners with an eye-popping price, collect as much of that money as possible up front and blow town after doing as little work as possible.

You'll be left with a half-completed project so badly done that it may be impossible to finish.

Obtaining bids from reputable contractors only requires a little work.

Just look for craftsmen who are licensed and insured, are in good standing with the local Better Business Bureau and have lots of references from nearby homeowners who will allow you inspect their work.

There's no way to guarantee a hassle-free project. But avoiding our 7 biggest mistakes of home remodeling can reduce the cost and aggravation, guaranteed.