What we know so far about Stacey Solomon’s surprising move from £1.3m Pickle Cottage home

The end of the Pickle Cottage era has arrived and now fans are wondering, what's next?

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash are officially leaving their beloved Essex home after five years, with the move set to happen ‘imminently’.

The news came as a huge surprise to fans who have followed the couple’s journey as they transformed the property over the years, from renovating and decorating it to using it as a wedding venue.

It was also the place where they welcomed two of their children, making Pickle Cottage a particularly special chapter in their family life.

But while the news may have come unexpectedly to fans, the move has actually been a long time in the making.

Why is Stacey Solomon moving?

In a video posted to Instagram, Stacey explained: “The reason that we haven’t said anything up until this point is because anyone who’s ever moved before knows what it’s like; you don’t know if it's going to actually happen until it actually happens.”

The British reality TV stars described the move as a ‘massive decision’ as Pickle Cottage is a ‘really special place for them’

As for the reason behind the move, Stacey explained that for a while they have wanted to ‘rescue more animals and grow more vegetables’.

She said: “So we've always been thinking if there's ever a chance to move further out and get a bit more land, then we would consider it, and we saw somewhere, and I was like, 'Oh my god, we could have a massive vegetable patch, and we could offer our land to animals who need it' and stuff like that. And we could bring the horses back there, the ponies, and we went to see it..."

The time has come to say goodbye to Pickle Cottage (Instagram/staceysolomon)

Where is Stacey Solomon moving to?

The family is moving to a place with more space for their animals. The family also plan to grow crops on their new land.

While the location of the family's new digs is being kept under wraps, Stacey teased that the family are moving somewhere ‘really, really different’ that the property ‘does need a lot of love’, which sounds like there’ll be another expansive renovation project for her to document on Instagram, and hopefully it begins in time for Halloween so we get to see the decorations.

The new abode will be home to Stacey, Joe, and their three children, Rex, seven, Rose, four, and Belle, three, as well as Stacey's two sons, Leighton, 14, and Zachary, 18, from previous relationships.

The family’s two dogs, Peanut and Teddy, also live in the abode, as do their backyard ducks, chickens, and rescue ponies.

What is happening to the fishing lake?

The Loose Women panelist also addressed fans’ questions about Joe’s fishing lake, an ambitious project that became a major part of the renovation project at the property.

The former EastEnders star spent years working on creating a fishing lake, and it was heavily featured in their BBC series, Stacey & Joe. There were plans for the future lake to be part of a larger clamping project.

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…"