A British expat who has lived in Spain for 38 years revealed a common ‘mistake’ people make before relocating – whilst sharing his top tips for those hoping to follow in his footsteps.
Daniel Efford, who is based in La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol, regularly shares his love for the region’s sunny weather, stunning mountainous landscapes and local cuisine on social media.
However, in a recent video posted to his TikTok page, @danielefford23, the operations manager gave his insights on what to truly expect when relocating to Spain.
Though he described general day-to-day life in Spain as ‘brilliant,’ he admitted the move is ‘not easy.’
He said: ‘I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks that people have, is that when they come to Spain, they come as holidaymakers.
‘They don’t really take into consideration what happens behind the scenes. They come for a week, see the way of life and go “I could do that!” It’s just a mistake.’
Issuing some ‘words of advice,’ Efford urged potential expats mingle with and speak to locals before relocating in order to get a true feel of Spanish tradition.
He said: ‘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.
Daniel Efford, who is based in La Cala de Mijas on the Costa del Sol, revealed a ‘mistake’ people make before relocating – whilst sharing his top tips for those hoping to follow in his footsteps
Though he described general day-to-day life in Spain as ‘brilliant,’ he admitted the move is ‘not easy’ (pictured: Estepona beach on Costa del Sol)
‘Find out from them what they suggest you do, where you should be… get them to help you.’
He also recommended ‘going online’ and listening to expats’ personal experiences about moving to Spain on platforms such as YouTube.
Efford added: ‘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.’
He concluded the video by urging individuals considering the move to ‘listen to as many people as possible, because there’ll be some scary stories,’ before adding, ‘I can share a few. You just have to find the right ingredients for that life to be livable.’
In the comments, hundreds of viewers shared a similar sentiment, as one person wrote: ‘We moved to Lanzarote 2020 & did our homework. One thing is for sure you don’t want to be living in Tourism areas.’
Another said: ‘Really good advice. I’ve been in Italy 35 years and it’s definitely not the dream that people envisage.
‘Love Spain and visit regularly but I’d have to say that our food & wine here in Italia is best.’
A third advised: ‘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.’
In the comments, hundreds of viewers shared a similar sentiment to Efford
Finally, another warned: ‘I think that if you have your own home and especially these days an online job, you can easily adapt almost anywhere.
‘But if you go to look for a job and you don’t even know their language… of course it’s hard. It’s not like a week on vacation.’
It comes after a mother-of-two who ditched the UK to move to Spain revealed why she doesn’t regret the decision.
Sophie Marnick, her husband Jake and two sons, Oscar, nine, and Ruben, five, packed up their life in Staffordshire to move to Cadiz earlier this month.
When Jake got a job as a specialist engineer in Spain at the end of 2023, the family decided to sell their house in the UK and move abroad.
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