Black Frame, White Frame or Full Renovation? Georgia's Finishing Levels Explained

Georgian new builds are sold at four different finishing levels, and the price per square metre you see in a listing depends on which one it is. Black frame is a bare concrete shell. White frame has plaster, screed, windows and utilities brought into the apartment. Full renovation is move-in ready. Finishing a white frame apartment costs roughly USD 250-650 per square metre on top of the purchase price — which is often more than the discount that attracted you to it.

What do black frame, white frame and green frame actually mean?

These terms come from the Georgian construction market and have no direct equivalent in most countries, which is exactly why foreign buyers misread listings. They describe how far the developer has taken the apartment before handing you the keys.

What do black frame, white frame and green frame actually mean?

Level	What you get	What you still have to do
Black frame	Structural shell, exterior walls, floor slabs. Electricity brought as far as the front door. No interior partitions, no plaster, no screed.	Everything: layout, wiring, plumbing, heating, plaster, floors, windows in some projects, doors, fittings.
Green frame	An intermediate stage that varies by developer — typically partitions built and utilities roughed in, but surfaces unfinished.	Plaster, screed, all finishes and fittings. Ask precisely what is included.
White frame	Electricity, water, sewage and heating installed inside the unit. Walls levelled and plastered, rough screed on floors, entrance door and windows fitted.	Flooring, painting, bathroom and kitchen, interior doors, lighting, fittings.
Full renovation	Move-in ready, sometimes furnished.	Nothing structural. You can rent it out the week you complete.

Why does the same building show two very different prices per square metre?

Because the listings are not describing the same product. A developer may offer the same floor plan in black frame and white frame, and the gap between them is the cost of the work the developer has already done. When you compare a black frame price in one project against a white frame price in another, you are not comparing locations or build quality — you are comparing two different amounts of unfinished work.

This is the single most common pricing mistake foreign buyers make in Tbilisi and Batumi. The cheapest number on the page is usually the emptiest apartment.

How much does it cost to finish a white frame apartment?

Renovation quotes in Tbilisi generally fall into three bands:

• Budget finish: roughly USD 250-300 per square metre — functional materials, suitable for a rental unit.
• Mid-level finish: roughly USD 400-500 per square metre — the standard most owner-occupiers choose.
• Designer or premium finish: from USD 600 per square metre upwards.

On a 60 m2 apartment, a mid-level finish is therefore around USD 24,000-30,000. Starting from black frame rather than white frame adds more on top, because the partitions, plaster, screed and utility runs all have to be done first.

Time matters as much as money. A full renovation typically takes two to four months, during which the apartment earns nothing. If your plan is rental income, that is a real cost that does not appear in any price comparison.

Not sure what finishing level a listing is actually offering? Kavlian connects you with a vetted local specialist who reads the developer's specification with you, free of charge.

The real risk: white frame has no legal definition

There is no law or official standard in Georgia that says what white frame must include. Two developers can advertise white frame and deliver noticeably different apartments — one with heating radiators installed, one with only the pipes; one with windows, one without.

The protection is not a better definition, it is a better contract. Before signing, get the finishing specification written into the purchase agreement as an itemised list: what is installed, to what standard, and what is explicitly excluded. Anything agreed verbally and left out of the contract is, in practice, not agreed.

Which level should you buy?

• Buy black frame if you want full control over layout and quality, you have time, and you are comfortable managing a renovation in a country where you may not speak the language.
• Buy white frame if you want to choose your own finishes without rebuilding the apartment from concrete. This is the default choice for most foreign buyers.
• Buy fully renovated if the property is an income asset and every month it sits empty is a month of lost yield. You pay a premium, and you start earning immediately.

Prices and market practice change. Confirm current finishing costs with a local contractor before budgeting.

FAQ

Is a black frame apartment always cheaper in the end?

Not reliably. It is cheaper to buy and more expensive to finish, and the total often lands close to a white frame purchase plus renovation. The genuine advantage is control, not savings.

Can I rent out a white frame apartment as it is?

No. A white frame unit has no flooring, no kitchen and no finished bathroom. It is not habitable.

Do finishing levels affect the residence permit valuation?

They affect the appraised market value, which is what the valuation report reflects. An unfinished apartment appraises lower than the same apartment finished.

Are second-hand apartments sold this way too?

Rarely. These terms belong to new construction. Resale apartments are normally described by their actual condition and renovation age.

Compare listings on what they really cost

Kavlian's listings come with the detail you need to compare like with like, and our vetted agents can tell you what a specific developer means by white frame before you commit. Browse apartments in Tbilisi and Batumi or talk to a specialist, free.