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Currently renovating new house and need help!

Sconnieeee — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 18:57:15 GMT

Hello.

I've purchased a new house and it's a bit of a fixer upper!

I have an old socket, which I believe is powering the master socket and leaving me unable to get rid of the cable...I think.

Old socket on the left of the picture. Newish master socket on the right!

Any knowledge of what's happening here is appreciated. Do I need an engineer to come out and get it modernised? And if so, what's the ballpark money wise?

Thanks!

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

licquorice — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:12:06 GMT

It depends what your intentions are.

Are you using the sockets at the moment?

The socket with your finger looks like it has the incoming external cable crimped to a internal cable feeding the other socket.

The simplest solution is to fit a new master socket at cable entry box and do away with the cable feeding the second socket if you no longer require it.

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

Sconnieeee — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:40:01 GMT

We're not using the sockets are the moment. We're just trying to get a gauge on what's what before the flooring goes down and the decorating starts.

I thought the master socket being the shiny new one would have been the one we needed! But if I can take it off I will.

We're getting a media wall on the wall with the older socket with the wiring so we'd have taken that away but if he's the entry point I'll get a new plate for it and work it in!
Thanks!

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

licquorice — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:47:07 GMT

If you are not using it, just remove it. It is the master socket, but it doesn't have to be where it is at the moment unless that is where you want it.

Just put a new master socket at the box where the incoming cable enters.

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

licquorice — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 19:48:52 GMT

If, when you place an order for service, full fibre is offered, both will be redundant in any case.

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

Sconnieeee — Thu, 06 Aug 2026 20:22:48 GMT

I thought a cable still needed to be plugged in to one of them! 🤦‍♂️

Thanks very much. Will get the mastersocket removed and schedule the new fibre optic to be installed and get an ONT.

Thanks again.

Re: Currently renovating new house and need help!

iniltous — Fri, 07 Aug 2026 07:04:39 GMT

The image with your finger in the shot is where the incoming external copper cable appears, it’s cover is the original one that had a hard wired corded phone (old style rotary dial phone) , that’s why it has a square ‘hole’ in the centre , someone has connected an extension cable to the external cable to connect a modern style plug and socket phone , often the new socket is placed next to the original one with a very short cable between, obviously a previous occupant wanted the telephone on the opposite wall to the original cable entry point.

If that incoming copper pair is still required because FTTP isn’t available, then the external cable needs to be maintained , you could simply shorten the extension cabling and fit the modern socket next to the original cable entry point if you don’t want that lose cable on the floor , or look to somehow fix a modern faceplate to the original back box (connecting the external cable directly to the faceplate)

You should check if FTTP is available to the address , if it is then it’s all the copper cabling becomes redundant anyway .