Here is some of what you gain by hiring a qualified home inspector:
1. Become A Knowledgable Homebuyer: One of the benefits of hiring a good home inspector is that at the end of the inspection you will have a clear understanding of the overall condition of the home. You will learn about certain problem areas of the home such as: improperly installed roof flashing that may lead to a leaking roof; or poorly graded soil that may lead to water seepage in the basement, foundation problems, or unwanted soil erosion around the foundation, etc. You will also be informed about maintenance issues you can expect to come up in the future. You won't be surprised after you move in that the water heater doesn't work or there is a hole in the roof with an expected 5" of rain tomorrow morning. You will be able to move into your new home with a more complete understanding of what you are moving into.
2. Save Money With Your Home Inspection: Once you are aware of some of the problems with the home, you can negotiate with the seller to have some of those issues repaired before your closing date. If you do negotiate with the sellers to have certain items repaired before closing it is a good idea to request a walk-through before your closing date to make sure those items that were agreed up were, indeed, repaired. Most buyers can use the home inspection as a negotiating tooll and end up saving more money than they spent on the home inspection. For instance: the home inspector discovers that there is a leak in the roof around the chimney flashing and a 2-year old bedroom window that doesn't open because it wasnot installed properly. You negotiate with the sellers to repair these items for you and you've just made your money back on the price of the home inspection, and then some. There are even times when sellers will replace a roof or malfunctioning furnace for the buyers. Those are bick-ticket items in which the buyer saved thousands of dollars.
3. Create a Budget: You can use the information you got from your home inspection, which should be documented in the home inspection report, to create a repair or maintenance budget. This can help prepare you to keep your home maintained and working properly into the future and eliminate some of the costly surprises that home owners often get.
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The home I am buying is only a couple of years old. I don't need a home inspection, do I?