Buying a house with garden office over sewer pipes

alkaton

I am almost at the end of the process of buying a house and it just transpired that the garden office (~3x3m insulated timber structure with electricity) is built on top or very near the sewers without a build-over permission. The water company advised me that such permission would not have been granted given it is less than 3m to the pipes and even if it was just a temporary structure, it could be demolished should access be required.
The sellers are offering to provide an indemnity policy, but I'm not convinced this is good enough. If the office needs to be demolished, then I would not be allowed to rebuild it in this place again and I'm worried that the house value and resaleabiity would be hurt more than what an indemnity policy would cover.
In my eyes, it is almost as if there was no office at all, but the agent is trying to convince me that the office doesn't really add to the house value. Am I just being unreasonable here?
Would you buy such a house at the agreed price, if covered by an indemnity policy?
I'm seriously worried here that I'm getting myself into a lot of negative equity.

Linton

I agree with the EA that the garden office is not a significant factor in the price.  If someone really wanted a garden office they may pay a small amount more in a bidding war, if they were happy with the rooms in the house it could even be a disincentive if the garden space was more important.

The chances of a sewer in someone's garden needing major repair is very low.

So I do not believe the garden office is going to get you into a lot of negative equity.

user1977

This would seem very low risk, unless you have reason to believe the sewers are likely to be dug up? I might be more concerned if the house itself was on top of the pipe.

The agent is probably correct in saying that the office doesn't add much to the price anyway.

twoLou

I agree - I can’t see how an office adds much if anything to the price, it may make it more desirable to some buyers that is all.

 I can’t see it’s value being enough to get you into negative equity unless you have a 100% mortgage and are significantly paying above what the property is worth or has been valued at.

Grizebeck

your worrying over nothing, honestly move on over it

dimbo61

The timber structure can be dismantled and stored some where else in the garden if work needs to be done on the sewer

TheJP

Its a shed in a garden. No need for a build over agreement, doesn't have deep foundations. Sounds like you are hankering for a easy reduction in price.