So youve bought your beautiful Lanzarote villa in the sun and are planning to move there to stay. But is living abroad really for you? Is your new life going to be any better than what youve been used to in the UK?

As a contributor to internet forums on Lanzarote and UK Expats, the most commonly asked question I receive is What is it like to live in Lanzarote?" There are many people who move to Lanzarote from the UK to fulfill their dream of living in the sun, but end up going back home after just a few months disillusioned. There are 3 main reasons for this.

The first is that they find out that once the novelty of the sun shining each day has worn off, life in another country isnt really any better than it was back in the UK. They miss their family, and decide that living abroad isnt really for them. Of the 3 main reasons for returning home, this is the hardest one to be able to predict and do something about. You often dont know if youll like something until you try it. For this reason, sometimes it may be better to rent a villa for 6 months or so to start with to find out if you like living in Lanzarote before you fully commit to buying your own property. You tend to find that its the females who will miss their families most, and as the UK is just 4 hours or less in a plane from Lanzarote, the odd trip home can help in that respect.

Secondly, its very easy to choose the wrong place to live. If you dont speak Spanish and enjoy socializing with other expats, then it wouldnt be a good idea to live in a Lanzarote village where there are no expats as you will feel very lonely and isolated and very easily homesick. There are many urbanizations which have plenty of expats living there and where it will be very easy to integrate and make friends. On the other hand, if you dont want to mix with expats but to live with the locals and learn the language quickly, then Lanzarote village life will be for you. You need to know exactly what you want. Bear in mind too that Lanzarote is a year-round tourist resort, and if you want a quiet and peaceful lifestyle dont choose to live in the centre of Puerto del Carmen, the busiest resort!

Thirdly, and probably the main reason why things dont work out, is financial. Many people move to Lanzarote with little money and no jobs, and soon find they just cant make ends meet. Its very difficult getting a well paid job in Lanzarote unless you speak Spanish fluently and have some in-demand skills to offer. If you dont, youll end up in a low paid job with long unsocial hours, and all too soon the dream turns sour. Try to bring out enough money to last at least your first year and learn the language as soon as possible. There are also opportunities to set up your own business, as Lanzarote is still a developing island with new villas needing managing etc. Despite what a lot of people might think, the cost of living in Lanzarote is not that much different from the UK. Petrol and council tax are lower, and there are minimal if any heating bills, but most other costs are much the same as in the UK. Its easy to think you can live a different, cheaper lifestyle but when you are used to a certain standard of living, that is not so easy in practice.

So before you come to live in Lanzarote, do your homework, save up some money, and learn the language. If you can get off to a good start, its a great place to stay!