Developers in Georgia almost never hand over flats with finishes. Two conditions appear in listings: black frame and white frame. Which one you buy decides the renovation budget, the timing and half of the risks, so let us go through both honestly — with what to check at the handover and in what order to run the work afterwards.
In short
- A black frame is a concrete shell with no screed, plaster or engineering runs. A white frame has the rough preparation done.
- A white frame costs more at the start but is quicker and cheaper to finish.
- Defects found before the acceptance act is signed are fixed by the developer at their own cost.
- From a white frame a flat is livable in 6–8 weeks, from a black frame in 10–14.
What a black frame is
A black frame is a concrete shell: monolithic walls and floor slabs, the external walls and, most often, windows already installed. Beyond that it is empty — no floor screed, no plaster, no water or electrical runs. There may be no internal partitions at all.
The lack of partitions is more of a plus: you plan the layout for yourself instead of breaking down someone else’s. The drawback is the amount of work: everything from levelling the floor to running the engineering has to be done from scratch, which noticeably lengthens the renovation.
What a white frame is
In a white frame the developer has already done the rough preparation: the floor screed, the wall plaster, water and electricity brought to the outlet points, an entrance door. There are usually no radiators — heating in Batumi is handled by air conditioners and underfloor heating.
A white frame costs more at the start but is cheaper and quicker to finish. Even here the quality of the rough work varies a great deal: screed with voids or crooked walls only show up when the tiles are being laid, which is why we recommend an inspection with instruments in any case.
Black frame and white frame compared
| What the flat has | Black frame | White frame |
|---|---|---|
| Floor screed | No | Yes |
| Wall plaster | No | Yes |
| Water and electrical runs | None, or only the supply | To the outlet points |
| Internal partitions | Often none | Yes |
| Windows and entrance door | Windows usually installed | Yes |
| Freedom of layout | Complete | Limited by existing walls |
| Time to move in | 10–14 weeks | 6–8 weeks |
Which one to choose
If you want your own layout — joining the kitchen and living room, moving the bathroom, making two bedrooms where the developer drew one — a black frame gives you that freedom without extra demolition. If the flat is needed for the season and for nightly letting, a white frame almost always pays off better: the time saved covers the difference in price.
When buying for income we usually advise working out the full cost of entry first: the price of the flat plus the apartment renovation plus outfitting. Sometimes a cheap black frame ends up costing more than a white one. How to work out such a budget is covered in the article on what makes up the cost of a renovation.
Accepting the flat from the developer: what to check
Until the acceptance act is signed, the developer fixes every defect found at their own cost. After signing, it is your expense. So we check:
- The geometry of the walls and the verticals — deviations of more than 2–3 centimetres eat into the budget for levelling.
- The windows: misting of the units, draughts at the joints, the working of the hardware.
- The screed: we tap it for voids, which will show up after the tiles are laid.
- The ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen: whether it draws.
- The water and electrical outlet points and whether they match the plan.
- The waterproofing of bathrooms and balconies.
- Water pressure on the upper floors and the meter readings.
All of this is part of our handover inspection from the developer: the report with photographs and measurements goes to the developer, and the act is signed only once the defects are fixed.
How long it takes to make the flat livable
From a white frame a flat is finished in six, at most eight weeks. From a black frame count on ten to fourteen: the screed, the plaster and the full engineering runs are added. In summer everything takes longer — crews are busy and furniture and appliances take longer to arrive. If the flat is needed for the season, start in winter.
In what order to run the renovation after the handover
- The design project and layout: where the sockets, lighting, plumbing and furniture go.
- Electrics and plumbing: the runs according to the design.
- Screed and plaster, if the flat is a black frame.
- Waterproofing the bathrooms and laying the tiles.
- Ceilings, painting, floor coverings.
- Custom furniture: it is measured after the finishing work.
- Outfitting: appliances, textiles, dishes, lighting.
Breaking that order is the main reason for redoing work: the kitchen was ordered before the plastering and did not fit; the tiles went down before the pipe runs and had to be broken open.
Common mistakes
- Signing the acceptance act “on trust”, without an inspection.
- Choosing by the price per square metre without counting the cost of finishing.
- Ordering furniture to the dimensions in the plan rather than the real ones.
- Planning the renovation for summer when the flat is needed for the season.
Questions and answers
Which is better for letting — a black or a white frame?
Usually white: it is ready to move into sooner, and the flat starts earning within the season.
Can you live in a white frame without a renovation?
No. A white frame is preparation for finishing, not a home: there is no plumbing, kitchen, floor covering or wall finish.
Who is responsible for defects found after the act is signed?
As a rule, the owner. That is why defects are recorded and passed to the developer before signing.
Can the bathroom be moved in a black frame?
Often it can, but it depends on the risers and the fall of the drainage — this is settled at the design stage.
If you are still choosing a flat, start with checking the property and the developer — that is covered in our guide for foreign buyers. And if the keys are already in your hands, name your residential complex: we have worked in most new buildings in Batumi and will tell you straight away what to expect in your particular building.