A kitchen takes 30–45 days. You can't shorten it. So we launch the project not at the end of the renovation but at the apartment-planning stage — otherwise we'll miss the move-in. Budget: the kitchen itself runs 5800–12000 GEL depending on countertop and backsplash; for comparison, producing a hallway wardrobe comes to about 4200–5500. Materials and hardware are bought at Maxima and Arzo, appliances at Elit Electronics or Kontakt Home. Below, step by step, is how we at Level Up run a kitchen from the first sketch to signing the handover.
When and how to order a kitchen
When the kitchen work starts
The kitchen goes in last — when the screed, walls, ceiling, floor tile and backsplash are ready, and the electrics and plumbing are run. Owners at this point often think: if the kitchen is last, then so is the project. That's not how it works.
Furniture sizes and the project itself we work out at the layout stage. Everything depends on the project: water and sewer outlets for the sink and dishwasher, electrical points for the stove, oven, cooktop, hood, the height of sockets above the countertop, the niche for the fridge, the width of the passage. Place the points "by eye," and then bring the kitchen project a month later — you'll be drilling tile, moving sockets, redoing ventilation. Wasted money and two weeks of work.
At Level Up the client receives a kitchen sketch before the electricians touch chasing. The sketch already locks in the units' dimensions, the type of cooktop (gas or induction), the hood model, the sink, the niche for the fridge, the spot for the dishwasher. The final wiring runs to this sketch.
When the final finish is partly ready — floor tile, backsplash, final sockets and taps in place — the manufacturer's measurer comes to site. They take an additional measurement against reality: actual wall deviations, actual ceiling height, actual position of sockets and pipes. Against this measurement the manufacturer draws the final design from which the cutting and assembly run.
The sequence — layout, draft kitchen project, wiring, final finish, additional measurement, final design — is mandatory. Skip a step and the units won't sit in place, or they'll sit with gaps and a redo of the doors.
Production time 30–45 days
Kitchen production is 30–45 days from signing the contract and the final design. That's the timeline every manufacturer in Batumi names, and there's no magic way to shorten it.
The first week usually goes on ordering materials and hardware if anything isn't in stock. After that — CNC cutting, edge banding, milling the doors, painting or laminating, assembling the carcasses, fitting hinges and runners, packing, delivery. Stone is a separate cycle: measurement, slab order, cutting, edge processing, joining, delivery. It's installed by a separate crew and only after the carcasses are mounted in place.
30 days is the minimum for a simple straight 2–3 metre kitchen with basic doors. 45 — for a corner or U-shaped one with milling, enamel, non-standard hardware, a glass-front cabinet, an island or a stone countertop. Big orders (kitchen plus wardrobe plus hallway closet) take longer — the whole batch goes in one queue.
If the client plans to move in around 1 July — the contract is signed no later than mid-May, the final measurement by 1 June. Any delay with the measurement pushes the move-in. There's a never-ending exchange with clients on this point: better to spend an extra day on a door decision than wait two weeks later.
Materials and manufacturer
Maxima and Arzo
Before launching production we lock in the carcass material, the door material and the hardware: hinges, runners, handles, soft-close mechanisms, gas struts, plinths, edging. In Batumi the whole assortment is in two places — Maxima and Arzo. Both shops are within walking distance of each other, and most kitchen manufacturers work from their catalogues.
Carcass and door are made from chipboard (LDSP), MDF or a combination. For a bathroom unit — only MDF. In a bathroom there's constant humidity and temperature swings; chipboard swells along the edges within a year or two from this. For the kitchen and dry rooms, both MDF and chipboard work in a quality build with proper edging.
For rental we go cheap and easy to replace: chipboard carcass, simple matte doors, basic Turkish hardware. Tenants treat a kitchen rougher than the owner — that's visible in any apartment after the second tenant. After two or three years, a door with a chipped corner or a torn-off hinge is replaced separately, without replacing the whole kitchen. For yourself it makes sense to invest: MDF with enamel or film, Italian hinges with soft-close, decent handles.
At Maxima and Arzo there are materials of various classes — from economy to premium. Turkish and Italian brands dominate. Turks are the sweet spot on price-quality, most kitchens in Batumi are built on them. Italians are premium, we install them in apartments for owners and in higher-class apartments. There are Chinese options here, but for a kitchen we don't recommend them — the hardware doesn't survive the warranty period.
In hardware, the main thing is hinges and runners. They're invisible on the door, but they decide whether the kitchen will close quietly in five years or start falling apart.
ALEX G&G GROUP — manufacturer at Maxima
One of the major custom-furniture manufacturers in Batumi is ALEX G&G GROUP. The office is on the third floor of Maxima, and it's genuinely convenient: the client picks materials and hardware on the lower floors and approves the design and signs the contract upstairs. No need to drive anywhere separately.
This isn't an ad — we've worked with them on several projects. We know the process: measurement, 3D design, approval, contract with a deadline, production, delivery, installation. They keep the timelines, and the cutting and edging quality matches what they show in the office.
There are also small workshops on the Batumi market that make kitchens cheaper. But there, almost always, either cutting accuracy, edging or timelines suffer. For a rental apartment a small workshop will do; for your own home, take a manufacturer with a proper production facility.
Countertop: MDF or engineered stone
The countertop material is a separate decision, and it hits the budget hard.
For rental we more often install MDF with a plastic surface. A workable option: holds moisture, doesn't scratch from normal cooking, can be replaced if damaged. The one big downside: the seams around the sink start to swell within a couple of years if water is poured on the joint every day. For rental it's tolerable — you can replace the countertop separately from the units in a day.
For yourself or in premium — engineered stone: acrylic or quartz agglomerate. A monolithic sheet without visible seams, the sink integrates into the countertop, scratches polish out, heat resistance is enough for a normal saucepan. For a red-hot pan placed directly — no, that's how a client got a white spot on his acrylic two years ago. Stone gives the kitchen a different look and significantly extends the life of the work zone.
A stone backsplash is the same countertop, raised up the wall by 50–60 cm instead of tile. Looks expensive, wipes clean with one cloth, no joints, nowhere for grease to clog. Costs noticeably more than a tile backsplash, and that shows up immediately in the final estimate.
What a kitchen and a wardrobe cost in Batumi
Prices in Batumi for 2026, from our experience working with manufacturers. Ranges — the final price depends on dimensions, doors and hardware.
| Item | Price (GEL) |
|---|---|
| Wardrobe (medium) | 4200–5500 |
| Kitchen with a regular countertop | 5800–9000 |
| Kitchen with a stone backsplash | 8500–12000 |
A wardrobe here is a sliding or hinged wardrobe of medium size: bedroom, hallway, walk-in. 4200 GEL is the basic spec: chipboard, simple doors, Turkish hardware. 5500 — MDF, soft-close, custom interior, mirror or glass.
A kitchen with a regular countertop — chipboard or MDF carcasses, doors in film or enamel, an MDF-plastic countertop, a tile backsplash. Roughly 2.5–4 metres along the front. A corner one usually closer to the upper end of the range.
A kitchen with a stone backsplash — the same plus engineered stone on the countertop and the wall. The 12 000 GEL upper bound is a large corner or island kitchen with high-class acrylic or quartz agglomerate. A small straight kitchen with stone is 8500–9500 GEL — a real number.
Not included in these prices: appliances, sink and mixer (although sometimes the manufacturer includes them in the estimate), installation — at decent manufacturers it's most often included. Budget appliances on a separate line — Elit Electronics or Kontakt Home.
Appliances
What to determine in advance
Before production and design, you need to know what built-in furniture and appliances will go in. "We'll buy it later" doesn't work here — appliances enter the project at the start.
Before the final design we lock in the models:
- cooktop or hob (gas or induction, 60 or 90 cm wide);
- oven (if separate from the cooktop);
- hood (built into a cabinet, slanted, dome — each has its own cutout and mounting);
- microwave (built into a tower or freestanding on a shelf);
- sink (top-mount, drop-in, integrated into a stone countertop);
- fridge (built-in or freestanding, width and height);
- dishwasher — if it'll be there (45 or 60 cm, built under the countertop).
Each item has its own mounting size and its own socket requirements. The design is drawn for specific models. The manufacturer asks for the dimensions from the appliance's spec sheet — not "60 cm fridge" but "such-and-such fridge model, 595 by 650 mm."
If the appliances haven't been bought yet at the time of the final design — pick models from a catalogue, lock the article numbers in the specification, then go and buy exactly those items. Change the model after production starts — section redo, plus time, plus money.
A separate note on the hood. The whole upper row depends on its type: either there's a cabinet over the cooktop with the hood built inside, or an open wall with a dome or slanted one. This decision pulls the entire front line of the units.
Where to buy and what to take
Appliances for the kitchen in Batumi are bought from two chains — Elit Electronics and Kontakt Home. Both have a normal range of built-in and freestanding, delivery to site, warranty.
For a rental apartment our working combination is Beko, Hansa, Hotpoint. Inexpensive, reliable, spare parts in Batumi are available, repair specialists know them. Beko — Turkish-made, basic stoves and fridges live a long time under normal use. Hansa — European economy, good for ovens and cooktops. Hotpoint — slightly pricier, Italian, reliable on motors and compressors.
The main rule for rental: built-in makes replacement many times harder. Built-in fridge or dishwasher breaks in three years — replacing 1-for-1 by dimensions is almost impossible: the line has been discontinued, new models don't fit by millimetres, you redo the furniture section.
In a rental we install freestanding: fridge in a niche with gaps, dishwasher separately (or no dishwasher at all — tenants often don't use it), microwave on a shelf. "Let's build everything in for the looks" doesn't work for rental — you'll curse this choice three years on. We build in only the cooktop and the oven — you can't install them otherwise, and replacement in a few years is realistic, the cutout standards have settled.
For an apartment "for yourself," the logic flips: build everything in, the owner looks after the appliances and isn't swapping them every three years.
Contract with the manufacturer
A contract with clear deadlines is mandatory. No verbal "ready in a month or so." In Batumi small workshops love to work by prepayment without paperwork — that's the first red flag.
What should be in the contract:
- exact production timelines (not "30–45 days" but a specific completion date);
- delivery and installation timelines on site;
- specification: carcass material, door material, edging type, hardware (brand and model), countertop material and thickness, backsplash;
- dimensions per the drawing;
- price broken down by item;
- payment terms (prepayment, balance after installation);
- penalties for missed deadlines on the manufacturer's side;
- warranty obligations on carcass, doors, hardware.
If the manufacturer refuses to lock timelines into the contract — they don't keep them. ALEX G&G GROUP and other major players work to a contract without question, so it's easier to go straight to them than to sort things out later with a workshop without paperwork.
Warranty on carcass and doors — 1–2 years. On hardware — a separate warranty from the hinge and runner manufacturer. On engineered stone with major suppliers — 5–10 years on the material itself.
FAQ
Takeaways
- The kitchen is the last stage of the renovation, but the project is done at the start of the layout. Without it, there's nothing to anchor the electrics, plumbing and ventilation to.
- Additional measurement — taken against the final finish. From it, the final design and the start of production.
- Materials and hardware are bought at Maxima and Arzo. For the bathroom — only MDF. For the kitchen — MDF or chipboard depending on the task.
- For rental: cheap and easy-to-replace materials, freestanding Beko, Hansa, Hotpoint appliances. For yourself: MDF with enamel, Italian hardware, built-in, engineered stone.
- The 30–45 day timeline doesn't compress. Period.
- 2026 prices: wardrobe 4200–5500 GEL, kitchen 5800–9000 with a regular countertop, 8500–12000 with a stone backsplash. Appliances separate.
- Before the final design — models for cooktop, hood, microwave, sink, fridge and dishwasher. Changing them after the start is expensive.
- Contract is mandatory. Clear dates, specification, penalties for delays. Without paperwork, our crew won't take the kitchen onto the site.