Sell an apartment in Batumi: price from deals, preparation, viewings and the deal

You can sell an apartment in Batumi in a few weeks or in a year, and the difference is usually not the apartment but the price and the preparation. A buyer compares your apartment with dozens of similar ones in the same area, sometimes in the same building. We handle the whole sale: we work out the price from deals, prepare the apartment and documents, show it, agree the deposit and take the deal through to registration and handing over the keys.

Selling an apartment in Batumi: where the sale begins

Before the listing we settle three things. What price to set so that the apartment gets viewed rather than scrolled past. What tax you will pay and what price is your minimum after it. Which documents the buyer will ask for first and whether they are ready. If any of these questions has no answer, the sale starts by losing time.

We work out the tax straight away: after two years of ownership a home is sold tax-free; with a shorter period 5 % is paid on the difference between the sale price and the purchase price. Details and exceptions are covered on our page about taxes on selling.

Price from deals, not from listings

Listing prices show what sellers want, not what buyers pay. So we look at what has actually sold in your building and nearby, what has been on the market for a long time and why. We compare floor, view, orientation, renovation and furniture, and for an apartment by the sea also how many similar offers there are in the same complex.

An inflated price in the first weeks costs the most: a new listing gets the most attention right at the start, and if the price puts people off, you later have to cut it on an apartment that has gone “stale”. How valuation works and when an accredited valuer's report is needed is explained on our page about property valuation.

Preparation and the listing

Before viewings we fix what catches the eye and is cheap to repair: a damp smell after winter, stains by the windows, loose skirting, clutter. A big renovation for the sale is risky: the buyer may value it lower than it cost you. What is worth doing and what is not is covered on our page about pre-sale preparation.

We build the listing on facts: the area from the extract, the floor, the view, the condition, which furniture and appliances stay, the building's service charge. We photograph in daylight with the curtains open, showing the view without wide-angle distortion. We list the apartment on local property platforms and show it by video to buyers from other countries.

Viewings and negotiations

We run the viewings ourselves, by arrangement with you: at convenient hours if you live in the apartment, with the keys if it is empty. After each viewing we send a short report: who viewed, what they liked, what put them off, what price was discussed. These reports show whether to hold the price or change it.

In negotiations we discuss not only the price but the terms: the deal date, the size of the deposit, what stays in the apartment, when you move out. A buyer is often prepared to pay more for a quick and clear deal than for a discount. We pass every offer to you in writing, and the decision on price always stays with you.

The deposit and the preliminary contract

We secure the buyer with a preliminary contract and a deposit. It sets out the amount, the date of the main deal, what happens to the deposit if one party changes its mind, and what the seller hands over with the apartment. How such a contract is drawn up is explained on our page about the preliminary contract.

If the buyer is taking a mortgage, we write a deadline for the bank's decision into the contract. The bank does its own valuation, and if it is below the price, bargaining may start again, so we discuss this risk in advance.

The deal, registration and payment

The main contract is signed at a notary or a House of Justice, and title passes to the buyer after registration in the Public Registry: at the standard rate 150 lari and up to 4 working days, 270 lari for 1 day, 350 lari for the same day. The contract settles in advance what comes first, payment or registration.

If the parties do not want to take risks, the money goes into a notary's deposit, and the notary passes it to the seller after the buyer's title is registered. How this works is explained on our page about escrow and safe payments. We hand over the keys against an act once you have confirmed receipt of the money, and record the meter readings in the same act.

How much selling an apartment costs

The agency commission on sale is 4–6 % of the price, payable on completion. If you need professional photos, video and listings, preparing for sale starts from 390 ₾, an accredited valuer's report from 330 ₾, a sale contract drafted with a translation from 660 ₾, and legal support for the whole deal from 2 220 ₾.

The final price is set after we review the apartment and agree the scope of work. The sale tax, the registry fee and the notary's charges are paid at their own rates.