steph and dom home© Photo: Rex

The sad reason behind Gogglebox's Steph and Dom shock £5m property sale

The couple put the property on the market earlier this year

Website Editor
Updated: May 4, 2023

Gogglebox's Steph and Dom Parker said farewell to their £5million dream Kent mansion back in 2021, which they had spent five years renovating. Discover the sad reason behind their shock sale...

The pair's beloved home, a hotel called The Salutation which featured heavily on the hit Channel 4 show, was loved by many, but sadly money troubles contributed to Steph and Dom's decision to sell. 

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However, it wasn't the couple themselves who were found in financial difficultly, but the tenants leasing it from them. 

Steph and Dom originally bought it for £2.6million back in 2004. They then spent several million pounds restoring the Grade I-listed property and Gertrude Jekyll gardens in Sandwich, Kent, to their former glory, before leasing it to John and Dorothy Fothergill in 2017 to run as The Salutation hotel.

Unfortunately, the couple amassed debts of £1.8million and the hotel had to close before the pandemic.

steph and dom red carpet© Photo: Getty Images

The couple left Gogglebox back in 2016

Speaking to Richard Eden for the Daily Mail, Dom said of the property: "We just fell in love with the place. It was like finding gold in a river. We just thought, 'Oh my God. We must have it.'"

Steph and Dom left Gogglebox back in 2016 and currently live in their holiday home in Spain's Canary Islands.

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Of the decision to sell, he added: "Our lives have changed and moved on considerably and we are not in a position to move permanently back to Sandwich."

© Photo: Rex

Steph and Dom currently reside in the Canary Islands

The Parker's now-former residence consisted of 17 bedrooms in total, split over a few different buildings, and it was designed and built by Sir Edwin Lutyens in 1912.

It also had a 60-capacity restaurant on-site, where the couple used to serve up the finest fare.

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The exterior of the property is on par with its stunning interiors, as there is 3.7acres of land and some of the gardens won Gold at the 2019 Chelsea Flower Show!

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