When you buy a flat in a new build in Batumi, the contract will almost always use one of three terms: black, white or green frame. “Frame” is the developer’s handover state, and it decides how much more money and time you need before you can live in the flat or let it. Below: what each option usually means, the typical surprises and what to check before you buy.
An important caveat: these terms have no single standard, and each developer reads them slightly differently. So this is the typical picture — always check the exact handover specification in the contract and its annexes.
What black frame means
The flat is practically bare concrete. Usually there are load-bearing walls and floor slabs, an entrance door and often windows. Internal partitions may be missing or built from blocks only, without plaster. There is no floor screed, and electrics and pipes are brought only up to the flat or to the riser.
The advantage of black frame is freedom: you can create any layout and plan the wiring and pipework exactly as you need from the start. The drawback is the largest amount of work and the longest renovation.
What white frame means
The most common option in Batumi. As a rule, the walls are plastered, the floor is screeded, wiring and plumbing are run and windows are fitted. The flat is ready for finishing: what remains is skimming, painting, tiling, flooring, doors, sanitaryware and lighting.
White frame is a good balance: the main “dirty” work is done, but you can still choose the finishes yourself. However, the quality of this work varies a lot between developers, and sometimes part of it has to be redone — worth allowing for in a white frame renovation.
What green frame means
An almost finished flat: the walls are prepared for the final finish or already painted, and sometimes the bathroom is tiled and the floors are laid. Most often it still lacks sanitaryware, interior doors, light fittings, a kitchen and furniture.
It may look as if nothing is left to do, but in practice you usually still need to complete the finishing, install sanitaryware and furnish the whole flat.
Typical surprises
- Uneven walls and floors. In white frame, plaster and screed often have noticeable level differences. For large tiles or laminate they will need levelling.
- Inconvenient wiring. Sockets not where the furniture will go, too few kitchen circuits, no dedicated circuit for an air conditioner or water heater.
- Weak spots in the bathroom. Missing waterproofing or the wrong fall for the shower — the things that later turn into leaks.
- Windows. Poor installation, draughts, no reveals — by the sea in the windy season you notice this at once.
- The developer’s finish in green frame. Sometimes it is easier to strip it out and redo it than to fix it.
What it costs to make the flat ready to move into
Our base prices cover labour plus rough materials. For a “walk in and live” flat, you add standard-level finishing materials (about 390 ₾ per m²) and furniture with appliances (about 520 ₾ per m²).
| Type | Labour, ₾/m² | Turnkey with furniture, ₾/m² | ≈ $/m² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green frame | 390 ₾ | 1,300 ₾ | $500 |
| White frame | 650 ₾ | 1,560 ₾ | $600 |
| Black frame | 910 ₾ | 1,820 ₾ | $700 |
For a 50 m² flat, the difference in labour alone looks like this: green frame — 19,500 ₾, white — 32,500 ₾, black — 45,500 ₾. In flats under 25 m² labour costs 20% more, and under 18 m² 35% more, because the bathroom and kitchen take up most of the floor area.
Timing: from white frame, the work itself takes about 3 weeks in a 1+1 flat (one bedroom plus a living room) and about 5 weeks in a 2+1. From black frame, add 2 – 3 weeks for partitions, plaster and screed. Turnkey with furniture adds about a week to install furniture and appliances.
What to check before you buy
- The handover specification in the contract. Don’t rely on the words “white frame” — ask for a written list: windows, screed, plaster, wiring, entrance door.
- The building’s completion date and condition. This decides when you can realistically start the renovation.
- Utility connections. Whether electricity, water and gas reach the flat itself or only the building.
- Layout and riser positions. Moving the bathroom or kitchen far from the riser makes the renovation more complicated and more expensive.
- A chance to inspect. If you are abroad, ask someone to walk through the flat on video, or invite us to measure it — we will show you the problem areas before you sign the acceptance certificate.
Which frame to choose
If you want your own layout and full control over the engineering systems, choose black frame. For a sensible balance of price and freedom, white. If speed matters and you want to let the flat as soon as possible, green — but inspect the developer’s finish in person.
Whichever you choose, labour is paid in stages — 30% at contract signing, 35% after half the work and 35% at handover — and materials before purchase. You get photo and video reports every week (see remote renovation for owners abroad), and the warranty is 2 years on finishing work and 5 years on hidden electrics and engineering systems.
Work out the budget for your frame type
Want a rough figure for your own flat? Open the calculator on our prices page: enter the floor area, property type and renovation option to get a guide figure in lari and dollars. We prepare an exact estimate within 2 days of measuring.