Term
White frame
An apartment after rough work: partitions, plaster, screed, electrical and water points, but no finishing or sanitary ware.
Also known as: white frame apartment, white box
White frame is an apartment in which the developer has already done the rough work but not the finishing. As with black frame, the law does not define the term, and the scope of work is written in an annex to the contract.
What white frame usually includes
Partitions to the developer's design, plastered walls, floor screed, wiring with points for sockets and switches, water and sewerage brought into the kitchen and bathroom. Sometimes a distribution board in the apartment and preparation for air conditioners are added. There is no floor covering, tiling, sanitary ware, doors or paint. Ceilings are usually just filled or left as bare concrete.
When white frame suits you and when it does not
White frame saves time: the rough work is done, and what remains before moving in is finishing, sanitary ware and furniture. But if the partitions and socket points do not match your layout, they will have to be redone, and you pay for that work twice. So before purchase we compare what has been done with the owner's plans and check the quality of the screed and plaster. How renovation from white frame goes is described on the page about white frame renovation, and the choice between white frame and a finished apartment on the page “White frame vs turnkey”.