Don't buy a home without one! Home Inspections are great for "peace of mind" or running for the hills and getting out of that deal as fast as possible when you find you've bought a lemon! With that said, most issues discovered at Home Inspections are easily remedied and simple fixes that just take a little extra time to work out.
Tips:
Always hire a Professional Home Inspector. Home Inspectors that have taken the time and effort to get special designations or have become a member of the National Association of Home Inspectors have invested in their careers. That is always a good sign that you are dealing with a serious professional. But...keep in mind that...obviously any designation or membership is not worth its wait in the wrong hands!
I would encourage avoiding hiring a friend or a family member to do your inspection. It makes negotiations with the sellers to correct problems much simpler to have an unrelated professional third party perform the inspection. No seller is going to trust the findings of a friend or family member to be a non-biased look at the quality of their home.
Be present at the home when the Home Inspector reviews your report. This is so you can visually see what the problems (if any) are and discuss the possible solutions face to face with the inspector at the home.
Tap into the Home Inspectors experience. Home Inspectors are great resources for home maintenance ideas and preventative solutions to avoid future maintenance issues. A simple tip related to draining water away from the foundation or removing a wood pile next to the home that could attract termites are the priceless types of tips you can expect from a veteran Home Inspector!
Home Inspections are for the major systems of the home, not cosmetic elements such as marks on walls or poor paint jobs. Cosmetic issues are best addressed in your initial offer. Read your contract carefully; know what and more importantly, what is not, part of the inspection process. Read the contract thoroughly before you sign the initial offer...once your offer is accepted you may be held to terms that won't allow recourse for items that you might assume should be covered by a Home Inspection! Never assume anything in real estate...it will cost you!
Also...please remember real estate is a local business. Customs and laws in your area may be different from mine. These tips are based on my personal opinions and experience selling homes in Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake, Newport News and Hampton Virginia for over 21 years.
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