Apartment renovation choices in Batumi: common dilemmas

Apartment renovation choices in Batumi: two questions

Humidity exposes weak spots quickly, so the first question is whether an option will survive a damp winter, a leak from the neighbours and an empty apartment with the windows shut. The second thing to ask yourself is who will live there. With both questions in mind, most apartment renovation choices in Batumi become clearer.

For yourself, you can choose the parquet and wallpaper you like. An apartment for short-term rental needs things that are washable, quick to fix and able to take knocks from suitcases. There is also a third question that people think of too late: how you will keep track of the renovation if you live outside Georgia.

Frame, developer finish and the scope of renovation

The first choice comes before you even buy: an apartment in black frame or in white frame. Black frame gives you freedom with the layout and full control over pipes and wiring, but renovating from it takes longer. White frame is quicker, but it has to be accepted carefully: each developer defines what its white frame includes, and the screed and plaster vary in quality.

Next comes the choice between white frame and a developer's finished apartment. A finished apartment saves time if you plan to rent it out from the very first month. But you don't choose the materials or the pipe and cable layout, and you only see the end result. So for short-term rental, with a damp winter when the apartment stands empty, it makes more sense to buy in white frame and renovate the apartment for your own purposes.

In a resale apartment, the pipes, wiring and screed settle the question of cosmetic or full renovation. There is a similar choice when you buy: an apartment with someone else's renovation, or one without, where you do your own. Buying with the renovation already done saves months, but it has to be inspected before the transaction, especially the bathroom, the ventilation and any water marks on the window reveals.

Floors: laminate, SPC vinyl, parquet, tiles

Laminate or SPC vinyl is a common debate in apartments by the sea. SPC vinyl copes with water and suits kitchens and hallways. Laminate is cheaper in the basic grades and many people find it nicer to the touch, but it swells at the joints if water regularly gets on it.

Solid parquet and engineered wood flooring both have real wood on top. The difference is in the base. The multi-layer base of engineered flooring moves less when humidity changes, and in Batumi that is an argument in its favour. Solid wood parquet is more demanding: it needs a stable indoor climate and dehumidifying when the apartment is empty.

Choosing between ceramic and porcelain tiles is simpler. Porcelain is denser and absorbs almost no water, and grit on shoes doesn't harm it, so it goes on floors, balconies and in hallways. Ceramic wall tiles are easier to cut, and for bathroom walls they are usually enough.

Walls and ceilings: paint, wallpaper, microcement, stretch ceilings

With paint and wallpaper, humidity decides everything. Washable paint copes with damp and cleaning, while wallpaper on an external wall in an apartment left empty in winter can peel and get stained. Wallpaper makes sense where people live all year round and the ventilation works.

With microcement in a bathroom, the question is how easy it is to repair. It gives a surface without joints, but it needs an experienced tradesman, a rigid base and a protective sealer, and a damaged patch is hard to repair invisibly. With tiles, you can replace a single cracked tile.

A stretch ceiling goes up quickly and with almost no dust, and if water leaks from above, the PVC film holds it. Plasterboard is chosen for niches, concealed curtain tracks and built-in lighting; it needs moisture-resistant boards and time for filling and painting. The two can be combined in one room.

Who does the renovation: a crew, a company, a designer

An independent crew can be cheaper on labour, but you have to set up the estimate, contract, warranty and reporting with them yourself. A company has higher overheads and is responsible under the contract for the whole scope. If you live nearby and are ready to buy materials and check concealed work yourself, a good crew is a reasonable choice. Compare the contracts: the stages, the payment terms, the warranty and who will honour it a year later.

You need a designer when you are changing the layout, want a consistent style or are renovating an apartment to live in for years. Without a designer, a standard apartment still needs the minimum: a furniture plan and an electrical plan, and for short-term rental also a selection of finishes and lighting.

How to compare options on price

When you compare prices, include the labour and think about what the option will need after a few seasons. A cheap finish that has to be replaced after the first leak or the first season of short-term rental ends up costing more than an option that is more expensive at the start.

Guide prices per square metre are in the price table on this page. A cosmetic renovation with basic materials costs from 210 ₾ per m², a full renovation with materials for the rough work from 570 ₾, and a turnkey renovation with mid-range finishing materials from 900 ₾. Labour from a private crew, from white frame to the finishing, costs 275–360 ₾ per m², but that price does not include materials. The final cost is set after the site measurement, once the estimate is agreed.

From photos and a plan we prepare a preliminary estimate within 24 hours on business days, and each choice appears in it as a separate item. If you can't decide between two options, we will price both.