The timing on when you get a home inspection is different depending whether it's a detached home or a condo. With a detached home I do a fair bit of due diligence on the property for my buyer before he even puts in an offer. This includes making phone calls and checking all the proper maps with City Hall to see if there are any unusual rights of way or encumbrances on the properly. Has the home ever been used as a grow-op? Was there an oil tank on the property and if so was it removed properly? After it passes those checks we can put in an offer and if accepted I advise my buyer to book a home inspection from a list of well qualified home inspectors that I am familiar with. On a condo or Strata property, you want to wait until the last few days before subjects are removed. I need time to get all the Strata docs such as the Form B and depreciation report, an engineering report if there are 1 and 2 years worth of Strata minutes. If all looks good, only then can we move forward and book the inspection at the end. You never want to book an inspection until after you have had a good look at all the strata docs. Sometimes the Strata docs and financials will paint a very ugly picture of the complex. In that case you would want to collapse the deal right then and there and keep looking.
When I am the listing or selling agent I might also recommend to my sellers they get a home inspection before we list. Knowing and fixing any problems before the buyer tries to negotiate give you a problem free sale.