Building regs/Indemnity insurance

[Minstadave]

Currently buying our first house and an issue has come up.

The house was originally built with an internal garage. The current buyer has modified the house by:

Converting half the garage into a utility room/toilet, moving a supporting wall
Adding a wood burning fire and modifying the chimney
Replacing the windows

None of this work has building regulations sign off, which our surveyor has flagged up.

The vendor has taken out indemnity insurance which I understand only really covers the unlikely possibility of the council telling you to put it back the way it was.

I'm not sure how significant this is? Anyone know? I'm not sure whether to:

- accept as is
- ask the vendor to seek retrospective approval (involving pulling the plaster off the moved supporting wall and any remedial action)
- renegotiate the original price based on this

 

[Minstadave]

Thanks guys, helpful advice, the seller keeps telling me it's fine, but I'm unconvinced and don't want to have to struggle with the same issues again at sale time.