Stacey Solomon forced to issue new statement after selling £1.3m Pickle Cottage home
Stacey Solomon has issued a fresh statement after revealing she and husband Joe Swash are leaving their beloved Pickle Cottage, describing it as a decision she 'never' thought she'd make.
The couple announced earlier today (3 Sept) that they'd already sold their sprawling £1.3 million Essex property, bringing an emotional end to five years in the Tudor-style home they transformed into their family sanctuary.
And while Stacey had already explained why they were moving, she has now given fans a deeper insight into the decision, as well as clearing up confusion surrounding one very important part of the property - Joe's fishing lake.
The couple's ambitious lake project has been a major part of their lives at Pickle Cottage, and has featured heavily in their BBC series, Stacey & Joe.
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Joe has spent years working towards creating the fishing lake, with plans for it to eventually become part of a wider glamping venture.
However, Stacey has now clarified that the lake is on separate, adjoining land, meaning its future isn't necessarily tied to the sale of Pickle Cottage.
Sharing a snap of her husband on her Instagram Story, she wrote: "For all of you asking about Joe's lake... it's not at pickle cottage and is very much still Joe's passion project that he will continue to love and grow…"
The update comes after fans questioned what would happen to the project now that the couple had announced they were leaving their home.
In a video shared on Instagram, Stacey explained that the family had to have a number of difficult conversations before making the news public.
"We are leaving Pickle Cottage," she said, adding that they were moving out 'imminently'.
The 36-year-old reality TV star explained that moving house is a notoriously unpredictable occurrence, meaning she and Joe didn’t want to announce anything before the sale was secure.
But there was another reason for the secrecy - the fact that leaving Pickle Cottage would be an enormous emotional decision for the whole family. Stacey said they had to get their children used to the idea, as well as speak to their neighbours and friends in the area.
She also admitted that even contemplating selling the house had felt almost impossible.
The pair eventually waited until a buyer came along who they felt had fallen in love with the property as much as they had.
As a reminder, Stacey and Joe bought Pickle Cottage in 2021, after searching for a home further from the city and closer to their family.
Since moving in, Stacey has documented the extensive renovations online and even released her book Tap To Tidy At Pickle Cottage, giving fans a glimpse into the work that went into turning the house into their dream home.
The property became far more than somewhere for the family to live, too.
The duo - who began dating in 2016 - even tied the knot in the grounds of Pickle Cottage in July 2022. Their daughters Rose, now four, and Belle, three, were also born at the house, likely making the decision to leave all the more emotional for Stacey.
"Pickle Cottage is our dream house," Stacey said, explaining that she still loves the property 'so, so much'.
Despite all those memories, however, the couple have decided that their growing family needs something different.
According to Stacey, they have increasingly wanted more land so they can rescue more animals and grow more of their own food.
Her beloved vegetable patch at Pickle Cottage is partly on neighbouring Farmer Scott's land, meaning there is no guarantee it will always be available.
The new property, which is reportedly further out, offers the couple the opportunity to go much bigger with their plans.
Stacey said they could have a 'massive vegetable patch', offer their land to animals in need and potentially bring horses and ponies back into their lives.
Joe described the move as being 'the best for our family', while admitting that it hadn’t been an easy decision after everything they had built.
The couple believe, however, that their new home will give their family the chance to 'flourish'.
The only caveat is that their new dream home needs a fair bit of work.
But if anyone is going to throw themselves into another renovation project, it's Stacey, who told her fans, 'I loved bringing Pickle Cottage back to life', adding that she is excited to do it all again.
It's certainly not goodbye to Stacey’s home-renovation era just yet.
In fact, it sounds like a whole new one is about to begin.
And while Pickle Cottage may have officially been sold, Stacey has made it very clear that she won’t be forgetting the place where she raised her family.
"I will truly miss Pickle," she admitted.
Topics: Stacey Solomon, Joe Swash, Celebrity, UK News, Reality TV
Rhianna Benson