Yesterday's tip about refreshing government appointment pages at midnight drew a wave of replies. Turns out, while many offices release slots around midnight, each entity sets its own schedule—some drop appointments at 8 am, others mid-afternoon. Thanks to everyone who wrote in. The real lesson: there's no universal hack, just persistence and pattern-watching for your specific cita previa — booked appointment.

Now, about the cost of free advice.

A subscriber in La Cala de Mijas shared this one last week. Names changed, pattern unchanged.

Lewis and Carole wanted terrace work and minor interior updates. They posted in a local expat group, got a flood of recommendations for an English builder "everyone" seemed to use. He quoted €10,000, asked for €2,000 upfront "to book materials," and waved off a written contract because "we all know each other here."

Week one: he turned up twice to rip out tiles.

Week two: WhatsApps about van trouble and sick relatives.

Week three: nothing. No replies.

When they posted asking if anyone had heard from him, half a dozen people surfaced with identical stories.

Net damage: €2,000 gone, a half-demolished terrace, and another €8,000–€10,000 plus three months finding a proper contractor and sorting out the permits they should have pulled first.

That "recommendation" had been validated in three separate Facebook groups. It meant nothing except that the builder was charming on first contact.

Another reader, Andrew, posted in a Brexit expat group asking whether €1,480 was normal for a lawyer to handle his five-year TIE card renewal in Málaga.

Someone pointed out the obvious: the government fee for that renewal is about €12. The rest is form-filling, document uploads, and one fingerprint appointment—straightforward admin, not complex litigation.

€1,480 is roughly what you'd pay for full conveyancing on a €150,000 property, or two complete residency applications at a reputable firm with money left over.

The group caught it. Not everyone does.

Here's the benchmark so you have something to compare quotes against.

For anyone billing €300/hour in their actual work, these benchmarks matter because your time matters.

For builders and contractors:

For lawyers and gestores — administrative agents:

Facebook groups are helpful for names and "avoid this person" warnings. They are terrible as primary vetting tools or pricing guides.

One lost billable hour spent sanity-checking a quote against these bands costs less than becoming the following horror story thread.

Two phrases worth having ready:

"¿Me puede dar un presupuesto por escrito?"
— Can you give me a written quote?

"¿Tiene seguro de responsabilidad civil?"
— Do you have liability insurance?

If either question creates hesitation, you have your answer.

Free advice has a price—it's just invoiced in demolished terraces, overpaid renewals, and months you can't get back. A written quote, a proper contract, and thirty minutes of benchmarking fees aren't bureaucratic fussiness. They're the difference between getting work done and becoming the cautionary tale someone else reads in a Facebook group next year.

Onwards — A. and the always trustworthy Waypoint Sur team

With Waypoint Sur, you can always expect plain-English guidance to land, settle, and thrive on the Costa del Sol—work, schools, healthcare, visas, taxes, home, and daily life.  
Made Mostly Under the Costa del Sol Sun. 💛