Tbilisi and Batumi: an apartment by the sea for capital residents, buying, renovating and letting remotely
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, and Batumi is about 350–370 kilometres away: 4.5–6 hours by car, 4–5 hours by train, less than an hour by plane. Among buyers of apartments by the sea there are many Tbilisi residents. We work in Batumi and Adjara: we find and check apartments and handle the deal, the renovation and the letting, while you come only for the viewing and signing or draw up a power of attorney with a notary.
Housing
Buyers from Tbilisi know the difference between old and new housing well: the capital has a historic centre, Soviet districts and new residential complexes. In Batumi they are usually interested in apartments in new buildings by the sea and in the centre, less often in private houses and houses in the mountains.
Apartments in Batumi are sold as black, white or green frame and with developer finishing, and for a buyer from another city it is important to understand right away how much the renovation will cost and how long it will take.
Terrain, sea and soil
Tbilisi lies in the Kura valley, far from the sea, and its climate is drier than Batumi's. By the sea humidity rarely drops below 70 %, and rainfall exceeds 2,400 mm a year, so an apartment in Batumi needs different care: ventilation, a dehumidifier, moisture-resistant materials.
All of Georgia is seismically active, and new buildings in Batumi are designed for earthquakes to Georgian standards. During renovation we do not touch load-bearing walls or columns.
Infrastructure
The train from Tbilisi runs to Batumi Central station in about 4–5 hours, stopping at Kutaisi airport, Ureki and Kobuleti, and minibuses leave from Didube bus station. The flight from Tbilisi to Batumi takes less than an hour.
Some of the tiles, sanitary ware and furniture for renovations in Batumi come from warehouses and showrooms in Tbilisi, usually with a few days' delivery. So we approve long-lead items first.
Tbilisi is the capital of Georgia, and Batumi is about 350–370 kilometres away by road. Among the people who buy apartments by the sea there are many Tbilisi residents: they need an apartment for summer, for the family or for letting, and coming for every stage of the purchase and renovation is inconvenient. We work in Batumi and Adjara, and help Tbilisi residents buy, renovate and let a home by the sea remotely. Below is how this works.
From Tbilisi to Batumi: the journey
By car the journey takes roughly 4.5–6 hours, longer in summer and when leaving Tbilisi. The train takes about 4–5 hours and stops at Kutaisi airport, Ureki and Kobuleti, and in summer tickets sell out several days ahead. The flight takes less than an hour, and minibuses leave from Didube bus station and take 5–7 hours. The train arrives at Batumi Central station in the north of the city, about 4 kilometres from the centre.
So it is convenient to come for viewings and the signing at the weekend, while we do everything else on site and send reports.
Buying an apartment without moving
We view apartments on site and film detailed videos, and an engineer and a lawyer check the building and the documents. You come for one or two viewings and the signing, or you draw up a power of attorney with a notary in Tbilisi, and then a representative signs the contract. You transfer the payment to the seller yourself from your own account, and you receive the extract confirming your title after registration.
Many buyers from Tbilisi take an apartment in a building under construction with an instalment plan: there is almost no need to travel to Batumi before completion, and at handover we accept the apartment from the developer by a certificate and check for defects. Before signing we check the developer, the permit and the instalment contract.
How such a purchase works is described on our page about buying an apartment remotely.
Renovation and materials from Tbilisi
We run the renovation without you being there: you accept the stages by video and pay for them one by one. Some tiles, sanitary ware and doors are available in Batumi shops, some are in warehouses in Tbilisi, and we put the delivery from there, usually a few days, into the schedule. How this works is explained on our page about remote renovation.
If you want to choose materials in Tbilisi showrooms yourself, we send a schedule with item codes and options, and you mark what you like. How we select materials is described on our page about material selection.
Letting while you are in Tbilisi
In summer an apartment by the sea is let by the night, and from autumn long-term. We handle bookings, meet guests, clean and repair, pay the utility bills and send a report once a month. We block your dates in advance, and after you leave we clean the apartment and open it to guests again. In winter, if the apartment stands empty, we visit it on a schedule, air it and switch on the dehumidifier. How we run short-term letting is described on our page about managed short-term rentals.
A house by the sea or in the mountains of Adjara
If you need not an apartment but a house by the sea or in the mountains of Adjara, construction can also be run remotely. You sign a power of attorney for specific steps, get a fresh Public Registry extract before each important decision, look at the reinforcement by video before the pour and pay after the certificate. How this works is explained on our page about remote construction.
Questions and answers
Do you work in Tbilisi?
We usually work in Batumi and Adjara. For Tbilisi residents we find, check, renovate and let apartments by the sea, build houses in Adjara and run all of this remotely, with videos and reports. We take on renovation and construction in Tbilisi itself only by separate arrangement.
Can you buy an apartment in Batumi without coming from Tbilisi?
Yes. We view apartments, film videos and check the building and documents, and a representative signs the contract under your power of attorney drawn up with a notary in Tbilisi. You transfer the payment to the seller yourself from your own account, and you receive the title extract after registration. Many still come once, for the final viewing and the signing.
How do you accept a renovation if you are in Tbilisi?
By video and certificates. At each stage we send videos and photos with measurements, you accept the stage and pay for it, and only then do we start the next one. We buy materials from an approved schedule with item codes and attach the receipts, and you can come to an inspection at any time.
How long does it take to get from Tbilisi to Batumi?
By car about 4.5–6 hours, longer in summer. The train takes about 4–5 hours, and in summer tickets sell out several days ahead. The flight takes less than an hour, and minibuses from Didube bus station take 5–7 hours. It is convenient to come for viewings and the signing at the weekend.
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.
Tell us about your project, and we’ll work out the timeline and budget
We reply within an hour during business hours. Message us or leave a request: we’ll call you back, go over the details and suggest the next step.
Mon–Fri 10:00–19:00, Sat 11:00–16:00