Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have offered a first look at their new family home, having moved out of their previous £1.3 million property, known as Pickle Cottage. Solomon, 36, posted a family photo on their new doorstep to Instagram on Friday evening, with the caption: "Home is wherever I’m with you… Pickle Project, Here We Go."
The couple revealed their decision to leave Pickle Cottage stemmed from their affection for the new property, which boasts extensive grounds. Solomon informed her Instagram followers on Friday that her chickens, ducks, and beehive had all safely relocated to their new residence.
She also shared plans to establish a substantial vegetable garden and to rescue additional animals. It was previously reported in June that the couple had become enamored with the eight-bedroom Victorian mansion. The new property includes a swimming pool, expansive gardens, and ample bedroom space for their children: Rex, seven, Rose, four, and Belle, three. Solomon is also mother to sons Zachary, 18, and Leighton, 14, while Swash is father to Harry, 19, from a previous relationship.
Swash noted that the property would present a significant renovation undertaking for Solomon, who is known for her DIY projects. Solomon described leaving Pickle Cottage as an emotional and significant decision, explaining the move was kept private initially to allow time to inform all necessary parties, including their children, friends, and neighbors.
"Pickle Cottage is our dream house, as soon as we moved here we fell in love with it and I still love it so, so much. It's a really special place to us," Solomon stated. "I gave birth to both of the girls there, we got married there, it's just so special to us."
However, the desire to rescue more animals and grow more vegetables prompted the search for a property with more land. "We saw somewhere and I was like, we could have a massive vegetable patch and we could offer our land to animals who need it and stuff like that. We could bring the horses back there, the ponies, and we went to see it and we fell in love," she explained. "It wasn't an easy decision, we built our lives together at Pickle Cottage but now we have found somewhere where we can see our family growing and really flourishing and this is the place."
Solomon indicated that this move signifies a new chapter, describing the new residence as "a project" in a "really really different" location that requires "a lot of love," expressing excitement for the undertaking. The couple moved into the original Essex property, affectionately named Pickle Cottage, in 2021. Solomon and Swash, who first met on "I'm a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!" in 2010, held their wedding on the grounds of Pickle Cottage in 2022. Solomon has previously expressed her views on interior decorating, emphasizing personal choice and advocating for individuals to have the freedom to design their homes as they please, regardless of external opinions.
