Why remote renovation in Batumi is normal, not risky — if the system is right
Most apartments in Batumi's towers are owned by people who live elsewhere. That means most renovations here are managed from abroad, and the industry has adapted: electronic contracts, bank-transfer milestones, video reporting, property managers who receive the keys. The question is not whether an apartment can be renovated remotely — ours have been, more than sixty times — but whether the contractor's system makes it safe.
The owners who get burned are almost always those who hired a private foreman through a chat group, paid cash in advance and relied on photos the foreman chose to send. This guide describes what a safe process looks like, stage by stage, so you can run it with us or judge any other contractor by the same standard.
Step 1: Estimate and survey before you commit to anything
Send the developer's floor plan, the condition of the apartment (black frame, white frame or finished) and how you intend to use it — short-term rental, long-term rental or your own holidays. Within 24 hours a serious contractor should return a preliminary estimate for more than one finish level without asking for money or a visit.
The second step is a physical survey, and it is non-negotiable. Someone has to open the apartment, measure every wall, photograph every riser and look inside the electrical box. Brochure plans in Batumi are routinely 2–4% larger than the built apartment, and the riser location decides whether your dream bathroom layout is possible. Our survey produces a condition report with measurements and photos that becomes the basis of the design and the fixed price.
- Give access via the developer's sales office or a local representative with a written authorisation — no notarised document is needed for a survey
- Ask for the survey report in writing, with photos of the slab, walls, risers and electrical cable
- Insist that the estimate be revised against the survey before any contract is drafted
Step 2: Design approval over video, not screenshots
Layouts are discussed on a video call with the plan on screen; then every room is visualised in photorealistic 3D and presented live, so you can ask 'what is behind that door' and get the answer. Revisions continue until you approve — in our case without counting rounds — and only then do working drawings and the material specification begin.
For a rental apartment, approve the design against a rental checklist rather than taste alone: porcelain tile rather than laminate, washable paint, split air-conditioners in every room, a 50–80-litre water heater, blackout curtains, lockable owner's storage, and a layout that photographs well from the entrance. We have designed enough rental units in Orbi City and Alliance Palace to know what gets booked.
Step 3: The contract — what must be in it
A renovation contract in Georgia can be signed electronically and is enforceable; what matters is what it says. It must name a registered Georgian company as the contractor, not an individual. It must attach the line-by-line estimate and the specification with brands, and state that the total price is fixed and cannot be increased for the agreed scope. It must contain a completion date, a penalty for missing it — ours is 0.1% of the contract value per day — and a warranty period on all works.
It should also describe the reporting: how often, in what form, and that itemised spend is included. And it should describe handover: who receives the keys, what checklist is used, and when the final payment is due. If a contractor will not put these points in writing, the absence tells you everything about how the project will go.
- Registered Georgian company as contractor, with company ID and bank details
- Line-by-line estimate and material specification attached as annexes
- Fixed price, completion date, penalty clause, warranty period
- Reporting schedule and handover procedure described
Step 4: Payments tied to milestones you can see
Our schedule is 30% on signing, 30% after rough works, 30% after finishing and 10% at handover. Each payment is due only after you have seen the completed stage in a video report and, if you want, through a live camera or an independent local inspector. Payments go by bank transfer in GEL, USD or EUR to the company account against an invoice, so every lari has a paper trail for your own accounting and, if needed, for Georgian tax purposes.
Avoid two patterns: paying more than 30–40% upfront to anyone, and paying cash to an individual without a contract. Both are common in Batumi and both are the root of nearly every horror story we hear from new clients.
- Four milestone payments: 30 / 30 / 30 / 10
- Bank transfer with invoice for each payment
- Next payment only after the previous stage is shown complete
Step 5: Weekly control without a flight
Every Friday you receive a video walk-through of the apartment, photos of the week's work, the week's itemised spend and the plan for next week. Milestones are compared against the contract schedule, so a delay is visible in week two rather than discovered in month three. On request we install a live camera on site for the duration of the works.
If you prefer independent eyes, Batumi has freelance technical supervisors who inspect works by the hour; we welcome them and provide access. Some owners also ask a friend or relative in Georgia to attend the rough-works and pre-tiling checks. None of that is required — but a contractor who resists it is a warning sign.
Step 6: Handover, keys and first guest
Handover happens by video against a written checklist: every socket tested, every tap run, every appliance started, the floor and walls inspected under raking light. The apartment is professionally cleaned, inventoried and photographed. Keys go to your property manager, a trusted person or the first tenant; the final 10% is paid; and the warranty — 12, 24 or 36 months depending on the package — starts.
On request, we prepare the listing assets: professional photos, an inventory list, a guest guide with Wi-Fi and appliance instructions, and utility accounts transferred to your name. Several of our investor clients had their first booking inside a week.
- Video handover against a written checklist
- Inventory, photos and guest guide prepared for listing
- Warranty claims handled through your local manager — you never need to fly in
FAQ
Do I need a power of attorney to renovate remotely?
Not for the renovation itself. A written authorisation for key collection is enough. A notarised power of attorney is only needed if someone must register the property or sign utility contracts on your behalf.
How do I pay from abroad?
By international bank transfer in GEL, USD or EUR to our Georgian company account, against an invoice for each milestone. Card payments are possible for smaller amounts.
What if I am unhappy with something in the weekly report?
You tell your site manager, and the issue is corrected before the next milestone payment is due. Because the design was approved in 3D and the specification is attached to the contract, disputes about 'what was agreed' are rare.
Renovating an apartment in Batumi from abroad is a solved problem when the process has the right structure: a measured survey, a 3D design you approve live, a fixed-price contract with a Georgian company, milestone payments against visible results, weekly video reports and a documented handover. Send us your floor plan and we will walk you through all six steps for your apartment within 24 hours.
