Hope someone can help me with this.

I just bought a newly rennovated house and the woman I bought it from told me there was no phone line or phone socket in the house.

However there is a telephone wire going into the house and after a bit of exploring I found where it leads, there is a small cupboard built into the wall where the house alarm is, and I found a phone socket right in the corner in there. And plugged into the phone socket (where a landline phone is supposed to be plugged in) is a small cable leading into the alarm.

So my questions are:

Why is my alarm seemingly connected to a phone socket?

Assuming the line is activated, am I still able to use it for a telephone, if I get an adaptor so that both the phone and the alarm can be plugged into it?

Thanks

The alarm may be the type that calls an alarm monitoring centre when triggered. It could be a standard phone line or less likely a dedicated point to point circuit.

Does it have the name Redcare on the socket? They are a common provider of such services. If so it might be possible to use it as a normal phone line. Though it would be worthwhile checking with whoever provides the alarm service (details should be on the alarm unit) to find out.

I would assume that if the previous occupant did not think there was a phone line then she didn't get a phone bill? Which could mean the line rental for the alarm is paid by the alarm company. If so that might complicate matters somewhat.

Thanks

Some people hardwire the alarm to the phone socket so that it cant be disconnected. If you don't have service to the socket it does not matter - when you order phone or broadband they can send someone out to put in the wiring you need.
Its a strange scenario - you'd think that if a home is being renovated they'd take time to recess phone and aerial points around the house and have obvious places to which the wiring can be attached. It saves spoiling the new finishes on the walls and skirting, after all the materials for this cost pennies in the grand scheme of a renovation.

You would think so but having looked around a few 'renovated' properties for sale it seems to me that there is a general lack of forethought and even ignorance on the basic facilities a house should have in the 21st century.

Over here its mandatory National Electric code requires that when renovations and new wiring is carried out each room must have a cable/TV point, a telephone socket (cat 5e cable) and an ethernet port. In larger areas (living rooms dining kitchens) there have to be several placed at intervals of ten feet on long walls or opposing sides of the room. You don't have to hook them up but the wiring must be back to a central location and all cables labelled