We paid over £1000 in two different inspections when we purchased our house. Since moving in I've discovered that the entire extension to the house was built without lintels, electrical work which is not even close to complient and brickwork which is little more than rubble.
The structural engineer said he was unable to determine whether the lintels were sufficient (because they were hidden behind plaster and face bricks) and he said that there is some evidence of electrical rewiring but that we should commission a report into that.
If you want a useful opinion hire an experienced builder to assess the property - perhaps under the pretext of costing possible renovations.
When I was selling my mother's house a few years ago, a builder who viewed it instantly spotted all the problems that professional surveyors either missed or couldn't be bothered to mention.
That being said, I always hire my own certified home inspectors. Both my spouse and I have enough understanding to know when an inspector is blowing smoke and when they are looking at a real issue, and we monitor them while they do the inspection. A home inspector can't go into details on an issue - that isn't their job - they are only there to tell you what experts you need to call in during your option period.
Even when they aren't, finding a reputable one who will actually do a good job is extremely difficult. Most are just looking to run through a house as fast as possible and collect their fee. There isn't some directory of problems they've missed. As far as I know there isn't any way to recover costs from them over issues that they missed and caused you to buy a home that you would not have given the problems. This makes them quite prone to being a rubber stamp and yet another fee for home buyers.
Don't hire the agent's inspector. Likewise, make sure you have your own agent, don't use the seller's. And if you're in court someday, don't expect one lawyer to represent both parties. Simple stuff.
It's similar to buying a car: don't ask the dealer's maintenance department whether it's a good car. Drive it to your independent mechanic on the test drive and ask them to take an unbiased look at it.
If you don't know a reputable home inspector, you could ask your painter, contractor, or handyman if you have a good relationship with someone who knows houses to take a look.
They are hired by the agent
Another complication to be aware of: Inspectors can face "blackballing" by banks or realtors if they scuttle too many deals by finding bad things. If you find an independent inspector, don't balk at paying a little more -- they may need it to make up for business lost from being honest.
Not exactly. Real estate agents do care about repeat business and referrals.
My home inspector had a 1 year warranty on anything that he tested in his report. Does that mean the company will cover all damages or buy the property from you, no; but it is a small disincentive to be a rubber stamp.
And really, the most expensive repairs are on things you can't see. Wiring. Plumbing. Damage to the structure of the house.
Even then I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to weasel out of for example your roof started leaking 2 months after you move in. The inspector will point out that there was no water damage when he inspected it so the issue developed after the inspection.
Also friends, family, coworkers, local real estate agents you trust, etc.
Going into the entire home buying process without preparing adequately is the buyer's first mistake.
According to whom?