Stacey Solomon shares heartbreaking message after leaving £1.3m Pickle Cottage home ‘imminently’

It’s the end of an era at Pickle Cottage. As Stacey Solomon and her family prepare to say goodbye to their much-loved home, the star has taken a trip down memory lane, sharing a heartwarming collection of throwback snaps and videos that capture all the lovely, magical and memorable moments they’ve enjoyed there.

Stacey, 36, and her husband Joe Swash, 44, are preparing to close the door on the home they’ve lovingly shared for the past five years.

They bought Pickle Cottage in 2021 and have shared plenty of its renovations with fans during that time.

The former X Factor star has taken fans along for the ride as she transformed Pickle Cottage into their dream family home, a place that became even more special when it doubled up as their wedding venue in 2022 and where they welcomed daughters Rose, four, and Belle, three.

The couple announced this week that they'd already sold their sprawling £1.3 million Essex property. while Stacey had already explained why they were moving, she has now given fans a deeper insight into the decision.

In a new video tribute showing the family’s memories over the years, the Loose Women panelist said: “Thank You & Goodbye Pickle Cottage. A little montage of some of the best years of our lives… We will forever be grateful for the last 5 years at Pickle.

She continued: “What a special place & how lucky we’ve been to have lived there. Memories that will last forever… Wishing all of the love & happiness to the new family who get to love pickle cottage. And here’s to the next chapter…”

Stacey Solomon shared a new statement about leaving Pickle Cottage (Instagram/@staceysolomon)

Stacey revealed that the couple had to prepare their children for the idea of moving, while also having conversations with their neighbours and friends in the local area.

She admitted that even considering putting the house on the market had initially felt almost impossible.

In the end, Stacey and Joe decided to wait until they found a buyer who they believed had fallen in love with Pickle Cottage just as much as they had.

The couple bought Pickle Cottage in 2021 after searching for a home that would take them further away from the city while bringing them closer to their family.

(BBC)

Since moving in, Stacey has shared the extensive renovation journey with fans online. She also released her book, Tap To Tidy At Pickle Cottage, which offered readers a behind-the-scenes look at the work that went into transforming the property into their dream home.

Stacey explained that, over time, the couple had become increasingly keen to find a property with more land, allowing them to rescue more animals and grow more of their own food.

At Pickle Cottage, part of Stacey’s much-loved vegetable patch sits on neighbouring Farmer Scott’s land, meaning there is no guarantee they will always be able to use it.

Their new home, which is reportedly located further out, would give the couple much more space to expand their plans.

Stacey said they could create a “massive vegetable patch”, dedicate more of their land to animals in need and even potentially welcome horses and ponies back into their lives.

Joe described the move as ‘the best decision for our family’, while admitting that it had been far from an easy choice after everything they had built together at Pickle Cottage.