Bury St Edmunds home fix wins 'surprising' Instagram following
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Clare Zerny and her partner Ben Sinclair bought the house in Bury St Edmunds in August 2017
A woman who shared renovation updates with an Instagram following that grew to more than 10,000 said the interest in their home had been "surprising".
The Renovation_Wreck account, set up by Clare Zerny, tracked the restoration of a £435,000 Victorian terrace in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk over nearly two years.
Ms Zerny, 40, said the online response to her updates had been "supportive".
"You post a picture and people are so encouraging - it makes you appreciative of where you are at," she said.
"When you are living through it the stress of doing it stops you appreciating it but the Instagram community has been understanding in that respect."
The Victorian house has been extended to the side and back
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The pastry chef said reaching 10,400 followers on Instagram had been "surprising".
"I had no idea a year and a half ago that so many people are doing renovation projects. The power of it is amazing," she said.
Ms Zerny and partner Ben Sinclair moved in August 2017 from Hackney, where they had previously renovated another Victorian property.
Miss Zerny said the house was "pretty run down" when they first got it
Instagram followers shared Ms Zerny's joy as she "smashed up" the kitchen with its pink walls
Miss Zerny, who project managed the transformation, said she had "always loved old houses" and it was a case of "better the devil you know".
She said the house, built in the 1850s, was "pretty run down" and a lot of the original features had gone.
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Instagram followers have shared her joy at "smashing up" the pink kitchen, her visits to reclamation yards and vintage fairs and seen her spend hours stripping wallpaper.
She gave her new-found community a sneak-peek at the plans as they were sent off for planning permission and she shared news that the couple are expecting a little girl in September.
"It's been quite the journey," said Miss Zerny.
She said it was hoped the house would be completed "pre-baby".
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