Apartments in Tbilisi new builds are often handed over as a black, white or green frame. Each has things worth checking while the handover act is still unsigned. Below: what to look at and how, what to bring, and how to record defects so they do not get lost.
Black, white and green frame: what they mean
The names are common, but there is no single standard behind them: what each frame includes differs between developers in Tbilisi. For example, in a black frame the windows and the entrance door come with the apartment from some developers and not from others. So the document that counts at handover is not the name but your contract and the annex describing the specification. Check the apartment against it. What follows is what you usually get.
| Frame | What is usually included | What to look at |
|---|---|---|
| Black | Load-bearing structure, external walls, walls between apartments, floor slabs. Inside, no plaster and no screed. Windows and the entrance door come with the apartment from some developers and not from others. Services are brought to the apartment or to the riser. | Geometry, cracks and water marks on the concrete; whether windows and the door are there and in what condition (if the contract includes them); where exactly the utilities stop. |
| White | Usually the above plus wall plaster, floor screed, windows, entrance door, electrical wiring, and water and drain outlets. Sometimes internal partitions. | Flatness of plaster and screed, electrical points against the plan, water and drain outlets. |
| Green | Usually the above plus preparation for finishing: wall skim (putty), sometimes plasterboard and ceilings. What is left is painting, flooring, tiling, plumbing fixtures and light fittings. | Quality of the skim coat, corners and window reveals, condition of the ceilings. |
What to check in any frame
Area, dimensions, ceiling height
- Measure the rooms with a laser measure (a tape measure will do) and compare with the plan and the contract. Measure the ceiling height in several places.
- Before comparing areas, find out how the contract measures area: by internal dimensions or by axes, with the balcony or without. Otherwise you have nothing to compare.
- If the measured area does not match the contractual one, write down the difference in figures and discuss it with the developer under the terms of the contract, before you sign the act.
Windows and balcony door
- Open and close every sash in every mode it is meant to have: it should not catch on the frame, jam or sag.
- Seals run all the way round, intact, with no tears.
- Look at the glazing units and the frame at an angle to the light: chips, scratches, cracks.
- The installation joint around the window is continuous, with no voids or gaps; outside, the external sills are in place.
Entrance door
- The door closes without binding and the gaps around it are even. The locks turn without force, and you have the full set of keys. There are no dents, scratches or other damage on the leaf or the frame.
Walls and floor slabs
- Cracks, chips, voids in the concrete, protruding rebar: mark every spot and photograph it.
- Water marks and leaks: the ceiling, the corners, the joints between walls and slab. Use a torch; stains are not always visible in daylight.
Balcony or loggia
- The floor should slope away from the building: water runs outwards, not towards the door. Check with a level or pour a little water.
- Find out from the specification whether waterproofing is included, and look for water marks.
- The railing is firmly fixed: inspect the fixings and press on it with your hand, without putting your full weight on it.
Services
- Where the risers run and the meters are, and whether you can get to them.
- Electrical supply entry and the electrical panel: are they there, and how is the supply connected.
- Water and drainage: where exactly the lines end, at the apartment entrance or at the riser (as the contract says).
- Ventilation ducts: draught is usually checked with a sheet of paper. Hold it to the grille or opening; it should be pulled against it.
- Heating, if the contract provides for it: what exactly has been connected.
Extra checks for a white frame
- Plaster. Hold a two-metre straightedge against the wall in several places and directions: gaps under it show unevenness. Look for the permitted deviation in the contract or its annex; if it is not there, ask the developer and write down the answer. Tap the wall: a hollow sound usually means voids behind the plaster. Look at cracks.
- Floor screed. Check flatness with the straightedge and a level, look for cracks, tap it. A hollow sound is a sign of voids.
- Electrics. Socket, switch and light points match the plan; the electrical panel is labelled, so it is clear which circuit does what. Test the sockets with a socket tester if the apartment is live.
- Plumbing. Water and drain outlets are in their places and capped.
Extra checks for a green frame
A green frame usually includes everything in the white one, so the list above applies too. Finishing preparation comes on top.
- Skim coat (putty). Switch off the main light and shine a torch along the wall at a shallow angle: bumps, grooves, pits and missed spots show up immediately.
- Corners and reveals around windows and the door: straight, with no chips or cracks.
- Ceilings, if they have been done: flatness, cracks along the joints.
What to bring if you inspect it yourself
- a laser measure or a tape measure;
- a 2 m straightedge and a level;
- a torch;
- a socket tester (if the apartment is live);
- a sheet of paper for the draught test;
- the apartment plan and the contract with its annex, on paper or on your phone;
- your phone for photos.
How to record the defects
- Write them down. One defect per line: where (room, wall, window), what is wrong, and a photo. Shoot so that both the defect and its location are visible: a wide shot first, then a close-up.
- Walk through with the developer's representative. Defects are recorded in their presence.
- Send the list to the developer in writing (by email or messenger) and keep proof that it was received.
- Sign the act together with the attached list of defects and an agreed deadline for fixing each one. If there are open defects, it is better not to sign the act without that list.
The handover procedure and the deadlines for fixing defects are usually set out in the contract: follow it. This is practical advice, not legal advice.
What not to do
- Inspect in a hurry or in the dark. You need daylight and enough time to reach the far corners and the ceiling.
- Come without the contract and the plan. Without them you have nothing to check the specification or the dimensions against.
- Take «we will finish it after you sign» on trust. Write every promise into the list with a deadline.
- Sign under deadline pressure. If you have not had time to inspect everything, it is better to ask for time before signing than to sign what you have not checked.
Snagging inspection by a specialist
If you are not sure you will spot the defects, or you want an independent list for the conversation with the developer, you can hand the inspection to us. We inspect the apartment, whether black, white or green frame, and give you a written defect list for the developer.
The price is 5 ₾/m², minimum 250 ₾. How it works out:
- 45 m² — 250 ₾: the formula gives 225 ₾ (45 × 5), so the minimum applies;
- 60 m² — 300 ₾;
- 100 m² — 500 ₾.
Snagging inspections are priced in lari. We also inspect apartments after renovation (finishes, plumbing, electrics): the price is quoted per property and is higher than for a new-build inspection. If you are checking a renovation yourself, our checklist for six building systems will help. Prices for snagging inspections and site supervision are on the audit and supervision page.
After the inspection: if you plan a renovation
The next step is usually renovation. Before you sign a contract with a crew, see what a renovation estimate looks like and what it contains, and read how to check it. For keeping an eye on the work as it goes, see our article on site supervision.
Frequently asked questions
Should I call a specialist before or after signing the act?
Before. The list of defects should be ready by the time you sign, so that you can attach it to the act. What happens to defects found after signing is set by the contract, and it is better not to count on that route.
Does a developer representative need to be at the inspection?
It is better if one is there: defects are recorded in their presence, and it is harder afterwards to claim that a defect was not there. If nobody attends, send the list in writing and keep proof that it was sent.
What if the developer disagrees with the defects?
Fall back on the contract and the annex describing the specification. For every disputed item, attach a photo, the location, and a reference to the contract clause or drawing that says how it should be. Send it in writing and keep the correspondence. Nobody can give you legal guarantees here: the outcome depends on the wording of your contract.
How much does a snagging inspection cost?
A new-build apartment (black, white or green frame) costs 5 ₾/m², minimum 250 ₾. A 45 m² apartment is 250 ₾ (45 × 5 = 225, so the minimum applies), 60 m² is 300 ₾, 100 m² is 500 ₾. The price is in lari.
Do you inspect apartments after renovation?
Yes: finishes, plumbing and electrics. The price is quoted per property and is higher than for a new-build inspection.
We will inspect your apartment before you sign the act
We inspect the apartment, whether black, white or green frame, and give you a written defect list for the developer. 5 ₾/m², minimum 250 ₾, priced in lari.
Prices and request →