Term
Green frame
An intermediate condition between white frame and a finished apartment: part of the finishing is done, and each developer sets the exact scope.
Also known as: green frame apartment
Green frame is an intermediate condition between white frame and a finished apartment. It is the vaguest of the three terms: for some developers it is white frame plus heating pipes and tiles on the balcony, for others it already includes part of the finishing, such as walls prepared for painting, interior doors or sanitary ware in the bathroom.
How to compare green frame offers
By the list of works, not by the name. The annex to the contract should list exactly what has been done: walls, floors, ceilings, bathroom, wiring, doors, windows. Two “green frame” apartments in neighbouring buildings can differ so much that the difference in the cost of completing them is larger than the difference in their prices. So before purchase we go through the apartment against this list and note what will have to be completed or redone. If an item in the annex is described in general words, such as “bathroom finishing”, we ask the developer to spell it out: which tiles, which sanitary ware, who installs it.
We also check the quality of what has already been done: we tap tiles for hollows, check walls with a straightedge and sanitary ware for leaks. What we do with such apartments is described on the page about green frame renovation.