Black frame, white frame, turnkey: finishing options in Georgian new builds

What are "black frame" and "white frame" in Georgian new builds?

In short: these are finishing options, and they directly determine how much you will pay on top of the price of the apartment. The black frame is the most common option on sale: you get the load-bearing structure and external walls, facade glazing, a front door and water, sewage and electricity risers brought to the apartment. Inside there is nothing: no partitions, no screed, no wiring; the buyer does all of it. The advantage is the lowest entry price and complete freedom of layout; the disadvantage is several months of work and a substantial extra sum. The white frame is an intermediate option: on top of the black frame you get internal partitions, plastered walls, floor screed and electrical and plumbing distribution, so the apartment is ready for final finishing. The layout, however, is already fixed. Final finishing and turnkey mean a fully ready apartment with floors, bathroom and kitchen, sometimes with furniture and appliances, so you can move in or rent it out straight away.

A person buying an apartment in Georgia for the first time is usually surprised twice: first by the price, then by the fact that for this price they get a concrete box with no internal walls and not a single socket.

This is the norm on the local market. Here is what the options are and what they mean in practice.

Black frame

The most common option on sale. You get:

• the load-bearing structure and external walls;
• facade glazing (windows and glass walls);
• a front door;
• water, sewage and electricity risers brought to the apartment.

Inside there is nothing. No partitions, no screed, no wiring. The buyer does all of it.

Pros: the lowest entry price and full freedom of layout. Cons: several months of work before moving in and a substantial extra sum.

White frame

An intermediate option. On top of the black frame you get:

• internal partitions;
• plastered walls;
• floor screed;
• electrical and plumbing distribution throughout the apartment.

In other words, the apartment is ready for final finishing: lay the tiles, paint the walls, install the sanitary ware.

Pros: it removes the dirtiest and hardest-to-control part of the work. Cons: the layout is already fixed.

Final finishing and turnkey

A fully ready apartment: floors, walls, ceilings, bathroom and kitchen units. With some developers, "turnkey" also includes furniture and appliances, so you can move in or rent it out straight away.

Pros: no hassle, everything in one contract and often in the same instalment plan. Cons: more expensive than doing it yourself, and there are usually only two or three design options.

What to choose

For renting out: the developer's finishing. The reasons are pragmatic: one standard across the building, readiness by the completion date, the work goes ahead while you are not in the country, and one party is responsible for everything. A remote renovation in a foreign country is a separate project with contractors, inspections and trips.

For yourself: according to taste and budget. If the layout matters and you have time to manage the work, a black frame gives the best result for the same money.

Never calculate the budget from the apartment price alone. The full cost of entry is the price of the unit plus finishing plus furniture and appliances plus transaction costs. This is the figure to divide the income by when you calculate the rental yield.

What to ask the developer

• Which options are available in a specific building. They differ: specifications are written separately for each building.
• What exactly is included. "Turnkey" means different things to different developers.
• The surcharge for an option and whether it is included in the instalment plan.
• Heating. Batumi new builds may have a gas boiler house with water radiators, or only split air conditioners. In a humid subtropical climate the difference is fundamental: in winter an apartment without proper heating is damp.
• Ventilation. Natural supply and exhaust or mechanical with heat recovery. Again, this is about damp, not comfort.

The last two points are almost never shown in presentations, yet people live with them for years.

In our Batumi new buildings section the finishing options and scope of work are listed for each project: we have retold the developers' specifications in plain language, without invented prices. See also Batumi apartments on instalments, Batumi new-build prices and apartments near the sea. If you are choosing between Batumi and Yerevan, read Batumi or Yerevan: where to buy or send a request through apartment search.

Frequently asked questions

What is better for renting out in Batumi: a black frame or the developer's finishing?
For renting out, the developer's finishing is better: one standard across the building, readiness by the completion date and one responsible party, with the work done without you. A remote renovation in a foreign country turns into a separate project with contractors and trips.

Is furniture included in turnkey finishing in Georgian new builds?
With some developers, yes: the turnkey option includes furniture and appliances, and the apartment can be rented out straight away. But "turnkey" means different things to different developers, so check the scope of work for the specific building.

What kind of heating do Batumi new builds have?
Some have a gas boiler house with water radiators, others only split air conditioners. In a humid subtropical climate the difference is fundamental: in winter an apartment without proper heating is damp.

How do I calculate the full budget for buying an apartment in Georgia?
The full cost of entry is the unit price plus finishing, furniture and appliances, plus transaction costs. This is the sum to divide the income by when calculating the rental yield, not the apartment price.