Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash's tumultuous year from split rumours to questions over their marriage - as they prepare for a fresh start after selling off £1.3M Pickle Cottage

Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash surprised fans this week when they revealed they've sold their family home.The couple moved into the Essex property back in 2021 and affectionately named it Pickle Cottage, making several renovations over the years, including creating a duck pond in the sprawling grounds. Now though, Stacey and Joe are preparing to leave their 'dream home', because they want more land for Stacey's vegetable patches and to rescue animals.The move will mark a fresh start for the couple, who are proud parents to Rex, seven, Rose, four, and Belle, three. Stacey is also mother to sons Zachary, 18, and Leighton, 14, while Joe is father to his son Harry, 19, from a previous relationship.It marks a fresh start for the couple, who have had a tumultuous year. Inside Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash's tumultuous year from split rumours to questions over their marriage - as they prepare for a fresh start after selling off £1.3M Pickle CottageIn 2022, Stacey, 36, and Joe, 44, were believed to have tied the knot in a romantic ceremony at Pickle Cottage. However, in April this year eyebrows were raised when it emerged the couple had yet to formally register their marriage four years on.At the time of their wedding, Stacey had revealed they were going to make their marriage legal afterwards, stating on Instagram: 'To get married anywhere legally, the place has to have a "civil ceremony" licence. 'One of the requirements for this license is that the premises must be made "readily available" for ceremonies.'As this is our private family home and we need it to remain that way we couldn't go for that option. 'So we are having a relaxed private blessing in front of our closest friends and family and a ceremony of our love to each other and we will register our marriage legally after... Hope that helps.'Stacey and Joe did not comment on the news they were not legally married, sparking rumours that there could be an ominous reason behind the decision. Shortly afterwards Stacey was photographed wearing her engagement ring but no wedding band, leading to further questions about their relationship.Around the time of the rumours, Joe also caused concern when he revealed a holiday with Stacey had been disastrous. In April this year eyebrows were raised when it emerged the couple had yet to formally register their marriage four years on. Rumours then swirled about the state of their relationship The former EastEnders star explained that after a series of dramas on the trip he realised he wasn't managing his ADHD well and was going to seek help. He told his followers: 'Within the first three days... the first one was a terrible error. I left Stacey's suitcase at home with all of Stacey's holiday clothes, so we flew out on holiday, we got to the airport and her bag didn't arrive.'We worked out I didn't put it in the in the taxi. I left my iPad on the plane, missed the flight home, all within the space of four days, so...'I feel like the ADHD has taken a bit more of a grip, and it's sort of creeping back into my life again, and I'm not managing it well.'So, this time around, I want to try and do it properly, find the right balance of medication, speak to the right people. But as well as that, I'll let you know how. And what's working and what's not working.'Joe had previously emotionally revealed that he feels like a 'problem' in wife Stacey's 'perfect' life due to his ADHD. With rumours about their relationship in overdrive, Stacey finally addressed the discourse on the Sort Your Life Out Unpacked podcast. Stacey shared: 'Who cares if the whole world is like: "Oh, they’re on the brink of divorce?"'Being in the public eye I think creates certain pressures, but not on our relationship because half the time what they’re saying: "If we know it’s not true, who cares?"'Sometimes I fancy the pants off him and can’t wait to come home to see him. Sometimes I’m like: "Get out of my stratosphere – stay away from me." I think we’re just like any other couple.' Doubts were also cast over the fate of their at-home reality series, but that has since been renewed for a fourth series. Joe's TV cookery show, Batch from Scratch: Cooking For Less, has, however, been scrapped by Channel 4 after just two seasons, reports suggest. Now though, Stacey and Joe preparing to leave their 'dream home,' because they want more land for Stacey's vegetable patches and to rescue animals Now, however, the pair are set for a fresh start with the sale of their home. 'We are leaving and moving out of Pickle Cottage imminently, which I never thought I'd say,' Stacey explained in an emotional Instagram video on Wednesday.'Leaving Pickle Cottage was a massive decision for us, we had a lot of people we needed to speak to, we needed to get the kids around to the idea and speak to all our friends and neighbours in the area.'We have just waited until someone amazing came along and fell in love with the cottage.'She continued: '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. I gave birth to both of the girls there, we got married there, it's just so special to us.'But for a little while we have always wanted to rescue more animals, grow more vegetables so we have always been thinking if there was ever a chance to get a bit more land then we would consider it.'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.'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.'So it's time to say goodbye to Pickle Cottage which feels so weird and basically move across to our new chapter.'It's a project, we're moving somewhere really really different and it does need a lot of love and I'm excited to do that all again.'