Buy an apartment in Batumi remotely: from video to keys

You can buy an apartment in Batumi remotely, from choosing it to getting the keys: we view the property on site and on video, send you a report, you sign a power of attorney at home, and a Georgian notary formalises the deal. Many people choosing from abroad buy this way. But an apartment you have not seen with your own eyes needs a stricter check than one you have walked through yourself.

How to choose an apartment without travelling

We start with a short conversation about your brief: what the apartment is for, the budget including renovation and furniture, the district, the timing. On that basis we shortlist options across the whole market and weed out most of them before any viewings: by the documents, the floor plan and what can be seen on maps. On video you only see what has passed the first filter.

One manager looks after you: they arrange the viewings, collect the reports and answer questions at a time that suits you, allowing for the time difference. All documents and videos are kept in one folder, so a month later you do not have to search for things in a chat.

Then we compare two or three options in one table: price per square metre from the extract, condition, the building, running costs, time until you can move in or take the first guest. The decision is yours, but it is easier to make on one sheet than from a dozen links to listings. If none of the options appeals, we keep searching rather than talking you into the best of a bad bunch.

Buying an apartment in Batumi remotely: what we film at a viewing

The viewing video replaces your own eyes, so we always film it in the same order:

• the approach to the building, the entrance, the stairwell, the lift and the corridor on the floor;
• every room in full, including the ceiling and corners, without angles that hide flaws;
• the view from every window and the balcony, without a wide-angle lens;
• the bathroom, the kitchen, the consumer unit, the pipes under the sink, the outdoor air conditioning units;
• moisture meter readings on the outer walls and by the windows;
• noise: an open window in the daytime and in the evening, if that matters to you.

You can join the viewing by video call and ask questions right from the apartment. After the viewing the engineer sends a report with photos and a list of what will need fixing.

Documents and signing without travelling

Once the apartment has been chosen and checked, the lawyer prepares a preliminary agreement, and we send you the text of a power of attorney agreed with a Georgian notary. You sign it before a notary in your own country, add an apostille and send the original by courier. Since 20 October 2023, a deal under a power of attorney issued abroad is registered only in notarial form, so your representative signs the contract before a Georgian notary.

The longest part is the power of attorney itself: one to three weeks depending on the country. It is translated into Georgian in Georgia within a day or two. We set the deadline for the main deal in the preliminary agreement with a margin. The whole procedure is described on our page about buying under a power of attorney.

Money

You transfer the payment yourself from your account to the seller's account; the money does not go through the representative. An account with a Georgian bank is not required but is convenient: you can transfer the money in advance and pay calmly on the day of the deal, and later receive rental income into it. It can be opened without a residence permit or a local address, and help with opening one costs from 360 ₾.

The bank may ask for documents on the source of funds, and an international transfer takes from one to several business days. In the contract we specify the currency and bank details for payment and what counts as payment, so that a bank delay does not derail the deal. We build this into the deal timeline; more on our page about transferring money for a purchase.

After registration

Registering ownership with the Public Registry at the standard rate takes up to 4 business days, and we send you the extract straight away. The representative accepts the keys under a certificate, takes the meter readings and finds out whose name the electricity, water and gas accounts are in. We keep the original documents until you arrive or send them by courier, and send scans of the contract and extract immediately.

After that, the apartment should not be left unattended. If you are not coming in the next few months, it can be closed up, let, or renovated, and the same team handles all of this with reports. How we work with owners abroad is described on our page about management for non-residents.

What buying remotely costs

Arranging the power of attorney, apostille and translations costs from 390 ₾, and organising the notarial deal from 330 ₾, excluding the notary's fee. A technical inspection of the apartment with a video and report costs from 480 ₾, legal due diligence from 960 ₾, and help opening a bank account from 360 ₾.

If we handle the deal in full, from choosing the apartment to registering ownership, legal support costs from 2 220 ₾. The final price is set after we look at your brief and agree the scope of work.