November brings perfect weather to the Muelle Uno, on the Malaga waterfront promenade
Why This Week Matters
You've been here six months. Maybe a year. You know the rhythm now.
November is the pause between summer chaos and the December shutdown. Locals are back. Tourists have thinned. Service providers answer phones again. But it's temporary.
Mid-December hits, and everything stops. Families arrive. Restaurants book solid. Your accountant disappears. That contractor you've been chasing? Gone until January 8th.
So November is your window. The boring admin you've been putting off? The tax questions you've been avoiding? The provider you've been meaning to switch?
Do it now. Or do it in late January.
Year-End Tax Reality (The Conversation You're Avoiding)
If you've been here in Spain for more than 183 days in 2025, Spain considers you a tax resident. That triggers Modelo 100 — annual income tax declaration — due next April-June.
You're also probably filing in your home country. Maybe even paying social security somewhere. Maybe multiple somewheres.
The question: Are you structured right? Or are you accidentally leaving €10,000-30,000 on the table through poor entity choice, missing deductions, or wrong residency elections?
What to do this week:
Book a 90-minute call with a cross-border tax advisor before December. Not your regular accountant. Someone who handles dual-tax situations daily and knows the treaties.
Questions to ask:
Am I claiming tax-resident or non-resident status correctly?
Should I be autónomo — self-employed — or running an SL?
Do I qualify for Beckham Law — special expat tax regime — and is it worth it?
What's my actual tax bill across all jurisdictions?
Reality check: We're seven issues old. We don't have a vetted list of tax advisors yet. We're building it.
If you have someone good (bilingual, handles Remote Execs, responsive, not sketchy), reply "tax advisor" with their name. We'll vet them properly and share back with the group if they pass.
If you need someone and we get three solid recommendations this week, we'll intro you to all three. You pick.
Fair?
Holiday Logistics (The Problems You Can't Amazon Prime)
Your parents arrive on December 18th. You're in-laws on January 2nd. You need:
Restaurants that take reservations and don't have a 19:00 first seating for tourists
A rental car that actually shows up
Someone to clean before/after who won't ghost
Airport coordination that doesn't require you to take the day off
What to do this week:
Call the three restaurants you actually like. Book December slots now. Ask: "¿Pueden reservar para ocho personas el 22 de diciembre a las 20:30?" — Can you reserve for eight people on December 22nd at 20:30?
If they say no, ask when they start booking. Put it in your calendar. Call that day.
Book a rental car now if you need one. Peak pricing hits after next week.
What we're building: A list of restaurants that (a) take reservations, (b) don't treat you like a tourist, and (c) have actual evening seating times. If you've found these places, reply with "restaurants" and include the names and what makes them work.
We'll compile and share. This is how the Black Book gets built.
The Admin You've Been Avoiding
Insurance renewals: Most policies renew on January 1st. You probably got a notice in October that you ignored. Premiums went up. Coverage might have changed.
Check your home, health, and liability policies this week. If you're unhappy, you have 30 days to switch before your subscription renews automatically.
Invoicing cleanup: Close out any outstanding client invoices. Chase payments. Clear your books before December, when everyone stops responding to email.
Contracts expiring: Coworking memberships, utilities, phone plans, property leases—anything renewing January 1st, review now. Negotiate before they auto-renew at higher rates.
Banking nonsense: If your Spanish bank has been annoying you all year (fees, frozen transfers, terrible app), switching takes 2-3 weeks. Do it now while you have bandwidth. January is when your banking needs to work.
Not exciting. But doing this in November beats doing it under pressure in January.
What Actually Changed (Infrastructure Reality)
The October rains everyone worried about? Málaga handled them fine. Benahavís had some road flooding. Marbella's drainage worked.
However, here's what didn't happen: the promised hydraulic infrastructure upgrades for autumn. The fiber expansion schedule. The parking solutions.
Those were pushed to "early 2026," which means June at the earliest. Plan accordingly.
What this means for you:
Your internet is what it is through spring. If you've been limping along on inconsistent fiber, fix it now or accept it. November is when Telefónica actually answers service calls.
Parking in Marbella won't improve. The valet solution you've been using? That's your solution.
Water restrictions likely return next summer. If you are considering landscaping changes or property upgrades that require permits, begin the paperwork now. Obra menor — minor works — permits take 4-8 weeks. Obra mayor — major works — permits take 3-6 months.
Starting in December means finishing in summer when construction gets expensive and contractors disappear.
For Everyone
Owners/Investors: If you're considering property improvements for the 2026 rental season, it's recommended that you obtain permits now. Permitting through December is possible. Permitting in January is a nightmare. Reply "permits" if you need the timeline breakdown.
Families: December school holidays run from December 23 to January 7. Book any childcare or camps now if you're still working. January camps fill up by mid-November.
Retirees/Snowbirds: TIE — residence card — renewals for anyone with 2023 start dates need to begin now for January/February expiration. You need 60 days minimum. Reply "TIE renewal" if you need the checklist.
Spanish-Lite (Actually Useful This Week)
"¿Pueden reservar para ocho personas el 22 de diciembre a las 20:30?" — Can you reserve for eight people on December 22nd at 20:30?
"Necesito hablar con alguien sobre mi seguro antes de la renovación." — I need to speak with someone about my insurance before the renewal.
Practice these. You'll use them this month.
What We're Building
Eight issues in. Here's what we're doing:
We're building the Black Book—the vetted provider list everyone wishes existed. But we're building it properly. Licensed, insured, responsive, discreet, English-capable, tested.
When you reply with your trusted "tax advisor," "restaurants," or "contractor," we're collecting names to combine with our trusted people. We'll vet them. We'll call their clients. We'll check credentials. We'll test responsiveness.
Then we'll share back the ones that pass.
This takes time. But you've been here long enough to know: doing it fast means doing it twice.
If you have providers who actually deliver (tax, legal, medical, contractors, property management), send them. If you need providers in specific categories, please let us know. We'll prioritize what the group needs most.
That's the deal.
Privacy Promise
Your replies stay private. We'll never share who asked for what. When we make intros, we do it one-to-one, not broadcast.
No public forums where everyone sees your questions. No data sharing with providers will occur until you provide your consent.
You ask. We vet. We intro. You decide.
Later this week: coworking noise levels by time of day (we're testing this week), insurance comparison framework, December service disruption calendar, and long-term strategies to live in a boomtown.
Reply with what you actually need. We'll build it.
Plain‑English guidance to land, settle, and thrive on Spain’s Costa del Sol—homes, schools, healthcare, visas, taxes, work, and daily life.💛
Catch you on the paseo!
- A and the slightly sober WayPoint Sur team
Made Mostly Under the Costa Del Sol Sun.
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