Makhinjauri: houses on the slopes overlooking Batumi, building, renovation and letting
Makhinjauri is a former resort village north of Batumi, now within the city limits. Houses climb from the sea onto the hills, and almost everywhere you can see the bay and Batumi. New complexes stand by the road and the sea, with private houses and guesthouses on the slopes. People buy for the view and the quiet and let to guests in summer. We build houses on slopes, check documents and structures, renovate and manage the letting.
Housing
By the coastal road and the sea stand new residential complexes, usually lower than the Batumi high-rises. Higher up the slopes are private houses, guesthouses and old villas, many extended in several stages, floor by floor. There are also old houses with worn-out services.
Apartments in the complexes are sold as a frame or renovated, and houses more often come with a plot and terraces. There are more guesthouses here than in the city, and we check their documents especially carefully.
Terrain, sea and soil
Makhinjauri rises from a narrow coastal strip onto steep hills. Access roads to some houses are narrow and steep, and almost every plot needs retaining walls and drainage. The beach is pebble, and a railway runs along the shore.
There is a lot of rain, and water from upper plots flows onto lower ones, so we design drainage for the whole slope, not just for your own house. Adjara is seismically active, and houses extended floor by floor are checked by a structural engineer.
Infrastructure
The centre of Batumi is about five kilometres away along the coastal road, with minibuses and buses running along it. Makhinjauri railway station was Batumi's main station until 2015.
There are shops, pharmacies and cafés by the road and the sea, but fewer schools, clinics and large supermarkets than in the city. Living on the slope almost always requires a car, and parking at a house on a slope is often a separate construction task.
Makhinjauri is a former resort village north of Batumi that is now within the city limits. Houses here climb from the sea onto the hills, and almost everywhere you can see the bay with the Batumi skyline. Below is what people buy here, what to check in a house on a slope and how to let it.
Makhinjauri: a view of the bay and the slopes
People buy here for the view and the quiet: apartments in new complexes by the road and the sea, private houses on the slopes, guesthouses and plots for their own house. In summer holidaymakers come who want a beach without crowds and a view of the city. Families with a car move here to live all year, valuing space and quiet with the city a few kilometres away.
The view works both ways: from the windows you see the bay and the lights of Batumi at night, and the houses themselves are clearly visible from the sea and the city. So on a view plot we think through the shape of the house, the terraces and the façade colour as carefully as the layout.
Makhinjauri became a resort back in the early 20th century thanks to its mild climate and sulphur springs, and some old villas survive. Green Cape with the botanical garden begins next door; see our page about Green Cape.
A house on a slope by the sea
Plots here are mostly on a slope, and that shapes construction: retaining walls, drainage, stairs and car access. Before buying we look at the road, the gradient, the ground and the services, and we design the house so that the main rooms have the view and water from the plots above runs past. If the plot lies below the road, the house is often placed so that the entrance from the road leads to the top floor and the bedrooms are below, facing the sea: this means fewer retaining walls and a view from every room. How we build houses by the sea is described on our page about houses by the sea.
Guesthouses and documents
Makhinjauri has many guesthouses, and many of them were extended floor by floor. The rooms on such floors operate, but on paper they do not exist, and selling or mortgaging such a house is hard. Before buying we compare the Public Registry extract with what stands on the plot, and a structural engineer checks how the new floors rest on the old ones. How such structures are registered is explained on our page about legalising buildings.
New complexes by the sea
By the road and the sea in Makhinjauri new residential complexes are going up, usually lower than the Batumi high-rises. Apartments in them are cheaper than on the New Boulevard, and the view of the bay can be better. If a building is under construction, we check the developer, the permit and the deadlines, and at handover the windows, balconies and waterproofing: buildings on the shore are exposed to wind and rain. Between the complexes and the beach there is often the coastal road and the railway, so we check which way the bedroom windows face. Buying in new buildings is covered on our page about apartments in new buildings.
Letting in summer and winter
In summer houses and apartments in Makhinjauri let to holidaymakers who want a view of the bay and a calm beach. The season is shorter than in central Batumi, in winter there are few guests, and houses with gardens are better let long-term or closed under supervision. In the listing we state whether there is parking, how far it is to the beach and where the minibuses stop: a house high on the slope is inconvenient for a guest without a car, and it is better to say so in advance. How we run short-term letting is described on our page about managed short-term rentals.
Questions and answers
Is Makhinjauri part of Batumi or a separate village?
Makhinjauri used to be a separate village and is now within the Batumi city limits. That is why a permit for a private house here is usually issued by Batumi City Hall. In character it is still a place of its own: slopes, private houses, guesthouses and a view of the city across the bay.
What should I check in a guesthouse in Makhinjauri before buying?
Whether what stands on the plot matches the Public Registry extract: many houses here were extended floor by floor without a permit. A structural engineer checks the foundation, the floors and how the new storeys rest on the old ones. We also check access, services, drainage from the slope and the seller's booking figures for the year.
Is it convenient to live in Makhinjauri without a car?
By the road and the sea, yes: minibuses run to Batumi, and shops are close. If the house is higher up the slope, it is hard without a car: the climbs are steep, and schools and clinics are mostly in the city. For permanent living we choose a house closer to the road, while for summer holidays you can go higher for the view.
Do homes in Makhinjauri let well in summer?
In summer there is demand from holidaymakers who want a view of the bay and a calm beach, especially families travelling by car. The season is shorter than in central Batumi, and in winter there are few guests. Apartments by the sea are let by the night in summer and long-term in winter, while houses with gardens go to guests in summer and are kept under supervision in winter.
Terms used on this page
- Public Registry extract
- A document from Georgia's state registry: the owner, cadastral code, area, legal use and encumbrances of a property on the date of issue.
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