A man who has lived in Spain as an expat for almost 40 years has delivered a ‘truth bomb’ to people considering doing the same. Daniel Efford shared the hidden difficulties of living full-time in Spain as a Brit in a TikTok.
Efford, an operations manager for GRSA International based in La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol, encouraged people not to make decisions based on a week-long holiday they take to the country. He said: “It’s brilliant, but not easy. Let me explain. I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks that people have, is that when they come to Spain, they come as holidaymakers.
“They look at life from the holidaymaker view and don’t really consider what happens behind the scenes. So they come for a week, see how it works or see the way of life, and think ‘I can do that’. It’s just a mistake.
“If you’re thinking of moving to Spain, first you can check out what happens in Spain by asking local people.
“Do a bit of homework, speak to locals – I’m not talking about the Brits at your favourite bar – talk to local Spanish people who speak English or who you’ve been able to build a bond with.”
“We have this problem that the tourist view clouds common sense. It clouds it because we see a lifestyle that we enjoy because we are a tourist.”
“Talk to the local people and take into account what they say, how they say it, the information you’re getting… And not just from one person – listen to as many people as possible, because there’ll be some scary stories. I can share a few. You just have to find the right ingredients for that life to be livable.”
One user, who moved to Lanzarote in 2020, shared: “We did our homework. One thing for sure is you don’t want to be living in tourism areas.”
Another commenter offered a tip: “The best thing anyone can do is learn the language. A huge number of doors will open to you as an English speaker with Spanish. And you’ll make friends who will help you settle in.”
Efford also runs a YouTube channel with friend Mark called Life in Spain Unfiltered, where the pair share their combined 60 years of experience as expats.
