Kobuleti: apartments and summer houses by a long beach, ground, building and letting

Kobuleti is a resort town north of Batumi, the seat of Kobuleti Municipality, about 28 kilometres from Batumi. The town stretches along a long beach, and in summer families from all over Georgia come here. People buy apartments by the sea, summer houses and houses with plots here, and in recent years apartments in new buildings too. Below is how Kobuleti differs from Batumi and what to consider when building.

Kobuleti: a town by a long beach

Kobuleti is quieter and lower than Batumi: there are almost no high-rises, and along the sea stretch boarding houses, hotels, summer houses and private homes with gardens. In summer the town is full of holidaymakers, many coming from Tbilisi and other Georgian cities, while in winter only locals live here. Apartments and houses are usually cheaper than in Batumi, and the beach is longer and calmer.

For year-round living people look at the town centre, with schools, markets and clinics close by, and for summer holidays at houses and apartments nearer the beach. Buildings right by the sea are quiet and empty in winter, which is worth considering if you plan to live here permanently.

Apartments by the sea here are bought for owners' holidays and for summer letting. How to choose an apartment by the sea is explained on our page about apartments by the sea.

Peat ground and the foundation

The coastal lowland in Kobuleti is peaty in places, and the groundwater is close to the surface, a metre or less after downpours. Peat compresses under load, and a house on an ordinary strip foundation on such ground may settle unevenly and crack. So before the design we order surveys, and on weak ground we place the house on piles or a slab based on their results.

How pile foundations work and when they are needed is described on our page about pile foundations. A basement on such a plot will almost always be damp, so we put utility rooms above ground level.

A summer house by the sea

Many houses in Kobuleti are summer houses that stand empty from October to May. They get damp, and sea salt damages metal and appliances. We build or renovate a summer house by the sea so that it survives the winter without its owners: a ventilated underfloor space, moisture-resistant materials, a dehumidifier, protected outdoor air conditioning units. How we build such houses is explained on our page about summer and garden houses.

Permits for building and reconstruction here are issued by Kobuleti City Hall. Old summer houses were often extended without registration, so before buying we compare the Public Registry extract with what stands on the plot.

Protected natural areas

By the town lie the Kobuleti protected areas with the Ispani marshes, where rare plants grow, and in the mountains of the municipality the Kintrishi protected areas. Plots next to protected land have their own restrictions, and before buying we check whether the plot falls within a protection zone and what may be built on it.

Summer letting in Kobuleti

In summer apartments and houses in Kobuleti let well to families who want a calm beach. The season is shorter than in Batumi, and in winter there are almost no guests, so apartments by the sea are let long-term or closed. How we run short-term letting and prepare an apartment for the season is described on our page about managed short-term rentals.