FTB, Level 2 Survey Advice Needed

Hello,

We are currently in the process of purchasing our first property and are nearing exchange/completion within the next few weeks.

We had a Level 2 Survey/Valuation carried out of the property and the report came back pretty clean, considering it's a detached house that was built in 1990 by Redrow.

The only areas for concern that they've flagged up are the existing windows and the report mentions that asbestos may be present due to the age of the property. In the report, it talks about us needing to consider the fact that there's no fire escape in the majority of the windows upstairs before exchange of contracts as windows are a costly expense. This is my first time ever dealing with a situation like this and I'm not sure how serious something like this is, so I am seeking advice on whether this is a valid enough reason to go back to the seller to ask for a reduction in price to be able to fund the replacement windows or to leave it and continue as normal, what would you do?

Here is what the report says in relation to the windows:
"The design of some of the windows does not allow people to escape from a fire and is a safety hazard. Current Building Regulations state that an escape window should have an unobstructed openable area that is at least 0.33sq.m (3.5sq.ft) and at least 450mm high, and 450mm wide (approx.18 inches).
In a fire, smoke can quickly trap occupants in a room and the lack of adequately sized escape windows in some rooms will prevent them escaping or others rescuing them. It should, however, be noted that there is no legal requirement for a homeowner to comply retrospectively, though you should be aware of the potential risk."

In regards to the potential for asbestos, the property is in sound condition (such as the ceilings etc.) so everything is on order. Would something like this scare you so you'd get an asbestos survey or would you ask the seller to pay for it?

Here is what the report says in relation to the "Asbestos may be present within materials used in the construction of the property, if encountered within underlying surfaces, we would emphasise that any associated remedial works may prove costly and should be carried out only by a properly licensed contractor."

The surveyor reported the valuation of the property £10,000 higher than what we are currently paying so apparently we're getting it at a slight discount, which is a relief.

Thank you for your advice.