A new-build two-bedroom apartment of 98 m² in La Cala de Mijas, a kilometre back from the beach. Two bedrooms at 98 m² is a comfortable pairing rather than a compressed one. The space went into the living area and the terrace instead of a third bedroom that would have made every other room smaller — which is the right trade for a couple, a part-year owner, or anyone who wants a guest room without running a family house. The plan is open and built around light, with the terrace off the living room facing the sea. That terrace is where the apartment is used: breakfast, a long lunch, the evening. Everything is on one level. La Cala is why this works as more than a holiday flat. It is a functioning coastal town — seafront promenade, sandy beaches, restaurants open through the winter, a health centre, schools and ordinary shops. It does not shut down in November, which is the test most of this coast fails. Fuengirola is ten minutes east, Marbella about twenty west, Málaga airport under half an hour. New build means the insulation, wiring, plumbing and glazing are current and under warranty. Nothing to renovate, nothing inherited, nothing to spend after completion beyond furniture. The complex has a swimming pool set in landscaped gardens and a fully equipped gym, both inside the gate. A kilometre from the sand is the honest distance: fifteen minutes on foot at a steady pace, two minutes by car. Closer to the water costs considerably more and brings the August crowds with it. 98 m² built. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, open-plan living, terrace with sea views, communal pool, landscaped gardens, gym, new build, 1 km from the beach.