Tbilisi Launch
We’re launching with Tbilisi as our first city! Read more about our services below, or skip straight to the signup form!
Our core service
- Select your home fully online
- Basic amenities listing and sourcing
- Smooth welcome package
- All 100% guaranteed hassle-free!
In practice it goes like this...
You hire our local agent Nina to find a home for you on the local open market. Nina does the home search for you before you even arrive. Then, fully online, you choose where to live based on video tours that include the surroundings of the places – not just the interiors!
Nina will also help you set up the place the way you want it, without you having to figure out where to get all the necessities in a new country. All you need to do is arrive!
Service provided to you by...
You’ll be in direct contact with Nina, who will be your local apartment finder in Tbilisi. Jaakko, the founder of Sovereign Landing, will be assisting you online to make sure everything will go as expected.
We’re planning to bring you a lot more services in the future, but to keep things simple and to focus on service quality, we will be starting out with our primary service (rental home finding). You’ll be in direct contact with us both throughout the whole process!
Service provided to you by...
You’ll be in direct contact with Nina, who will be your local apartment finder in Tbilisi. Jaakko, the founder of Sovereign Landing, will be assisting you online to make sure everything will go as expected.
We’re planning to bring you a lot more services in the future, but to keep things simple and to focus on service quality, we will be starting out with our primary service (rental home finding). You’ll be in direct contact with us both throughout the whole process!
Quick FAQ
Is this like a relocation service?
A bit like that, but not exactly the same. The main difference comes down to the duration of the move, and from that follows a bunch of other differences. Relocation services are geared towards permanent or long-term movers, or what you could call “traditional movers”. They’re people who get a new job in a new place, take everything they own and move to that new place to stay.
That’s a completely different situation from someone who’s only planning to be in one place for a relatively short period. There may be some relocation services well suited to serving people with nomadic lifestyle, while some might not know how to serve them at all – or they can be anything inbetween. In any case, traditional relocation services tend to be specific to a certain location – it’s harder to get the continuity that we’re aiming for. Traditional relocation is just a different thing.
A concierge service perhaps then?
Yes, a concierge element is definitely part of our service – effectively you hire a local concierge. The difference is that concierge services tend to be fully customized, “ask us anything and we will then figure out how to do it” kind of thing. The downside of that is that the service quality can vary, and it tends to be an expensive way of doing things. The existing concierge solutions often come with an annual subscription and a 5 figure price tag. We are more focused and systematic with our core service, and are able to offer it to you at a much lower price, with consistent quality.
Can I use this service if I plan to stay longer than 6 months?
Absolutely! We can find you a place to stay for longer, and it’s actually easier because landlords tend to favor longer contracts. There’s no requirement to be nomadic, we can still help you just the same.
Do you promise to find me a perfect place to live?
Unfortunately that’s bit of a tall order. Just as there is no such thing as a perfect country, there is no such thing as a perfect place to stay – there are always some trade-offs. What we do is make it clear to you what you will be getting, with the pros and cons. This is something that is almost impossible to do online-only with traditional services. The incentive structure of the existing rental platforms pushes them to maximize (short-term) revenue, instead of being on your side even if the place is completely unsuitable for living in.
Traditionally, to find a good place to live, you’ve had to have visited it yourself to make sure everything is as was implied online. Sometimes you’re painted one picture online, and the reality can be something quite different. Our job is to make sure you get the real picture, without having to visit the place in person (although you can if you want – we don’t push you to commit to any place just online).
Quick FAQ
Is this like a relocation service?
A bit like that, but not exactly the same. The main difference comes down to the duration of the move, and from that follows a bunch of other differences. Relocation services are geared towards permanent or long-term movers, or what you could call “traditional movers”. They’re people who get a new job in a new place, take everything they own and move to that new place to stay.
That’s a completely different situation from someone who’s only planning to be in one place for a relatively short period. There may be some relocation services well suited to serving people with nomadic lifestyle, while some might not know how to serve them at all – or they can be anything inbetween. In any case, traditional relocation services tend to be specific to a certain location – it’s harder to get the continuity that we’re aiming for. Traditional relocation is just a different thing.
A concierge service perhaps then?
Yes, a concierge element is definitely part of our service – effectively you hire a local concierge. The difference is that concierge services tend to be fully customized, “ask us anything and we will then figure out how to do it” kind of thing. The downside of that is that the service quality can vary, and it tends to be an expensive way of doing things. The existing concierge solutions often come with an annual subscription and a 5 figure price tag. We are more focused and systematic with our core service, and are able to offer it to you at a much lower price, with consistent quality.
Can I use this service if I plan to stay longer than 6 months?
Absolutely! We can find you a place to stay for longer, and it’s actually easier because landlords tend to favor longer contracts. There’s no requirement to be nomadic, we can still help you just the same.
Do you promise to find me a perfect place to live?
Unfortunately that’s bit of a tall order. Just as there is no such thing as a perfect country, there is no such thing as a perfect place to stay – there are always some trade-offs. What we do is make it clear to you what you will be getting, with the pros and cons. This is something that is almost impossible to do online-only with traditional services. The incentive structure of the existing rental platforms pushes them to maximize (short-term) revenue, instead of being on your side even if the place is completely unsuitable for living in.
Traditionally, to find a good place to live, you’ve had to have visited it yourself to make sure everything is as was implied online. Sometimes you’re painted one picture online, and the reality can be something quite different. Our job is to make sure you get the real picture, without having to visit the place in person (although you can if you want – we don’t push you to commit to any place just online).
Sovereign Landing services and pricing
Daily rental testing
If you’re planning to stay for 1-3 months, going through the process of setting up a full rental apartment might not be worth it. We can help you with short-term rentals as well, and scout them out locally in person. We make sure everything is as it should be for your arrival. Read more below!
Coming soon!
Local rental finding
For stays of 3 months or longer, daily rentals usually aren’t the best choice. It’s best to skip the daily rental platforms, and to get something priced for locals from the open market. This is our main service! We help you find and scout out a place that you can really call a home, and set it up like you want it.
$299.00
Ongoing support
After finding an apartment and getting the basics set up, the todo-list doesn’t end there. As a busy professional, sitting in traffic running errands probably isn’t the best use of your time. If it’s not something you absolutely have to do in person, let us handle it! Our team can get pretty much anything done, from shopping to managing household services.
Coming... at some point 😉
(meanwhile, you can discuss details directly with Nina)
Daily rental testing
If you’re planning to stay for 1-3 months, going through the process of setting up a full rental apartment might not be worth it. We can help you with short-term rentals as well, and scout them out locally in person. We make sure everything is as it should be for your arrival. Read more below!
Coming soon!
Local rental finding
For stays of 3 months or longer, daily rentals usually aren’t the best choice. It’s best to skip the daily rental platforms, and to get something priced for locals from the open market. This is our main service! We help you find and scout out a place that you can really call a home, and set it up like you want it.
$299.00
Ongoing support
After finding an apartment and getting the basics set up, the todo-list doesn’t end there. As a busy professional, sitting in traffic running errands probably isn’t the best use of your time. If it’s not something you absolutely have to do in person, let us handle it! Our team can get pretty much anything done, from shopping to managing household services.
Coming soon!
(meanwhile, you can discuss details directly with Nina)
More about our services
Local rental search
Opening offer! $199.00
Our main service allows you access to the local rental market as if you were already in your planned location, with boots on the ground like a local. We go through all the trouble of finding you a real home to stay in, from just a few months to however long you’d like to stay.
Skip all the endless scrolling in local rental boards built on 20 year old technology, with usually inadequate and unreliable information. You need someone local who can figure out what the places are really like, and check them out in person, creating a video for you showing not just what the place looks like in the inside, but what the surroundings are like.
Are you moving to a place that looks good in the inside, but is located right next to a noisy construction yard? Or just happens to be in dodgy area? These things are often impossible to figure out based on the online portals, so save yourself a ton of headache and hire local help!
Local rental search - how we find your home
Click the steps open to see the details!
Step 1. You fill our intake form.
The form is designed to be easy to fill and lets you describe what you need – or if you don’t like to do this in writing, we can also go through things in a call. Or both. You can choose.
Step 2. We contact you to confirm our availability and discuss the next steps.
We review your intake form and ensure that we can deliver what you need in the time that we have – if not, it’s best to make this clear as soon as possible!
In the most likely case that we can help you, we will let you know about the details of the next steps, timetables etc.
Step 3. Your local home finder sends you videos and other information on the available places.
We scout out the apartments on the local open market and send you videos on the ones that fit your criteria. The point here is to provide you with all of the information that you would get by being present in person. That way you can choose your home before arriving (you can also come see the place yourself before committing, no pressure!).
This step also includes documenting what exact level of “furnished” each apartment is – this can vary widely. There are places with everything you need, and places with just the stuff that requires two people to carry, and everything inbetween. We have a list of things that should be included in any furnished apartment (these depend on whether there is a kitchen, etc), and will discuss with the landlord if there are clear basics missing.
Then there are items that go beyond the basics – for example, things like a standing desk. Personally, I (Jaakko) consider it essential, but I wouldn’t demand my landlord to pay for one. We can help you source these items before you arrive so that everything is set up the way you want it.
Please note that only the “basics list” is included in the price of this service – shopping for the rest is billed separately (you pay for the time and items).
Step 4. When a place is found, you sign the rental agreement online (or in person).
The goal of our service is to enable you to do everything online, and we have systems in place that let you to sign the rental agreement online. This is when money changes hands.Â
Being able to do this whole process online is an incredible saver of time, energy and hassle. This way you can just arrive and come straight to your new home, with everything set up. This can easily save you a month of time in a new country!
Safe online renting guarantee policy
In order to make it safe to rent a place online, we have a quarantee policy:
If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy with the place when you arrive, you can get out of any long-term rental agreement just by paying the rent for that month. We don’t ask you to commit to anything long-term without seeing the place. Of course, our job is to make sure that everything is as is promised and there are no surprises, but sometimes things just happen outside of anyone’s control. With this policy, you won’t be on the hook.
Of course, if there’s something clearly wrong with the place, it would be unfair to ask you to even pay for the one month. See scenario examples below!
A "one month rent only" scenario
You may have been under a lot of stress when preparing to move, and may not have had the mental space to fully focus on all the tiny details (been there!). The apartment you’ve rented through us is as described, and everything is… fine… but you just don’t feel the place as your own.
While we fully understand that this can happen, our partnering landlord might be unhappy with us for having taken their place off the market and keeping it reserved, just to have the deal fall through for no reason on their part.
For us, these situations are fine and we will definitely help you find another place. It’s also fair to compensate the landlord for their lost earnings, and this is why the one month rent is reasonable. We will do our best to figure out what would suit you better, and get back to work on finding a place that is a better fit for you.
A "money back" scenario
Let’s say that there was an apartment that was otherwise great, but it’s summer and air conditioning hasn’t yet been installed. We do all of our usual due diligence, everything checks out and the landlord agrees to have the air conditioning installed the day before you arrive.
He gets an external crew to do the installation, and gives them keys to get the job done on their own. Then, these guys decide that it’s cool to smoke indoors while they do the installation (this example wouldn’t even be that far fetched in Tbilisi!). When you arrive, the place has a horrible smell, and you know that if you stayed the smell would seep through into all of your clothes. We wouldn’t expect you to stay, or pay for the place!
In this scenario, it would fall on us to quickly find you an alternative temporary accommodation (not paying to rent one, but to help you find one). You would be bumped up first on our priority list of finding another long term rental, pronto.
Depending on how you feel this process goes, you can pay either nothing or something – while this scenario may not literally “be our fault”, it is our job to prevent these kinds of scenarios from happening in the first place. So, you decide whether we succeeded in creating value for you or not – and pay accordingly.
We are not here to make a quick buck. Instead, we really want to earn your long-term trust – that’s where the real value is. This is why our refunds policy is very much on your side – either we really earn your money, or you don’t need to pay.
Local rental search - how we find your home
Click the steps open to see the details!
Step 1. You fill our intake form.
The form is designed to be easy to fill and lets you describe what you need – or if you don’t like to do this in writing, we can also go through things in a call. Or both. You can choose.
Step 2. We contact you to confirm our availability and discuss the next steps.
We review your intake form and ensure that we can deliver what you need in the time that we have – if not, it’s best to make this clear as soon as possible!
In the most likely case that we can help you, we will let you know about the details of the next steps, timetables etc.
Step 3. Your local home finder sends you videos and other information on the available places.
We scout out the apartments on the local open market and send you videos on the ones that fit your criteria. The point here is to provide you with all of the information that you would get by being present in person. That way you can choose your home before arriving (you can also come see the place yourself before committing, no pressure!).
This step also includes documenting what exact level of “furnished” each apartment is – this can vary widely. There are places with everything you need, and places with just the stuff that requires two people to carry, and everything inbetween. We have a list of things that should be included in any furnished apartment (these depend on whether there is a kitchen, etc), and will discuss with the landlord if there are clear basics missing.
Then there are items that go beyond the basics – for example, things like a standing desk. Personally, I (Jaakko) consider it essential, but I wouldn’t demand my landlord to pay for one. We can help you source these items before you arrive so that everything is set up the way you want it.
Please note that only the “basics list” is included in the price of this service – shopping for the rest is billed separately (you pay for the time and items).
Step 4. When a place is found, you sign the rental agreement online (or in person).
The goal of our service is to enable you to do everything online, and we have systems in place that let you to sign the rental agreement online. This is when money changes hands.Â
Being able to do this whole process online is an incredible saver of time, energy and hassle. This way you can just arrive and come straight to your new home, with everything set up. This can easily save you a month of time in a new country!
Safe online renting guarantee policy
In order to make it safe to rent a place online, we have a quarantee policy:
If, for whatever reason, you’re not happy with the place when you arrive, you can get out of any long-term rental agreement just by paying the rent for that month. We don’t ask you to commit to anything long-term without seeing the place. Of course, our job is to make sure that everything is as is promised and there are no surprises, but sometimes things just happen outside of anyone’s control. With this policy, you won’t be on the hook.
Of course, if there’s something clearly wrong with the place, it would be unfair to ask you to even pay for the one month. See scenario examples below!
A "one month rent only" scenario
You may have been under a lot of stress when preparing to move, and may not have had the mental space to fully focus on all the tiny details (been there!). The apartment you’ve rented through us is as described, and everything is… fine… but you just don’t feel the place as your own.
While we fully understand that this can happen, our partnering landlord might be unhappy with us for having taken their place off the market and keeping it reserved, just to have the deal fall through for no reason on their part.
For us, these situations are fine and we will definitely help you find another place. It’s also fair to compensate the landlord for their lost earnings, and this is why the one month rent is reasonable. We will do our best to figure out what would suit you better, and get back to work on finding a place that is a better fit for you.
A "money back" scenario
Let’s say that there was an apartment that was otherwise great, but it’s summer and air conditioning hasn’t yet been installed. We do all of our usual due diligence, everything checks out and the landlord agrees to have the air conditioning installed the day before you arrive.
He gets an external crew to do the installation, and gives them keys to get the job done on their own. Then, these guys decide that it’s cool to smoke indoors while they do the installation (this example wouldn’t even be that far fetched in Tbilisi!). When you arrive, the place has a horrible smell, and you know that if you stayed the smell would seep through into all of your clothes. We wouldn’t expect you to stay, or pay for the place!
In this scenario, it would fall on us to quickly find you an alternative temporary accommodation (not paying to rent one, but to help you find one). You would be bumped up first on our priority list of finding another long term rental, pronto.
Depending on how you feel this process goes, you can pay either nothing or something – while this scenario may not literally “be our fault”, it is our job to prevent these kinds of scenarios from happening in the first place. So, you decide whether we succeeded in creating value for you or not – and pay accordingly.
We are not here to make a quick buck. Instead, we really want to earn your long-term trust – that’s where the real value is. This is why our refunds policy is very much on your side – either we really earn your money, or you don’t need to pay.
Why move to Tbilisi?
Great value for money
The quality/price ratio in Tbilisi is incredible. For a modern European capital, it is hard to get more bang for your buck than in Tbilisi!
Safety
Georgia is a very safe country, and crime is taken seriously. While crime isn’t completely non-existent, you’ll be a lot safer than in many other western countries!
Culture
Georgia has a strong, ancient culture dating back thousands of years. It is very distinct and unique with its own language and alphabet. You won’t find another country like Georgia!
Food
The food in Georgia is great, and in Tbilisi you have endless choices of the global menu. The local food is made from healthy and fresh ingredients, with the local wines crowning the experience!
Weather
The weather in Tbilisi is pleasant most of the year, with perhaps the exception of peak of the summer which can be quite hot. The shoulder seasons are especially great, and there are no bad times of the year in Tbilisi!
Banking
The banking services are world class. Opening a bank account in Tbilisi is a breeze. You can get an account opened on the first day of your visit, and getting a debit card takes only a few days.
Tbilisi price level
Tbilisi used to be ridiculously affordable – nowadays prices have gone up, but it’s still very affordable! For an European style capital, you can’t get better value for money than in Tbilisi.
The apartment rents start from around $500/month. There are some places available for even lower than that, but those often come with some issues – it's best to prepare to pay $500/month. If you have a higher budget, you can get spacious great quality places for clearly under $1000/month.
Payment - when and how?
Sign up first! It doesn’t bind you to anything. We will have an onboarding call to discuss how to serve you best.
You don’t need to pay us until you arrive and see the place(s) for yourself. Depending on your schedule and flexibility, you may want to put in a deposit for the place you’re booking (see safe online renting quarantee above), but we’ll work this out with you during the process.
The best way is to pay with sound money:
- Bitcoin (on-chain and lightning)
You can also pay with fiat:
- Wise
- Revolut
- Bank transfer (SWIFT wire transfers)
- Cash payments
We are currently unable to accept credit card payments. We’re not ruling out the possibility of having those in the future. It is worth noting that Revolut supports bitcoin payments, so if you’re a Revolut user, that’s a good method (instructions coming)!
A SHORT word about refunds - worth reading!
We have a very simple refund policy: if you wish to be refunded, we will do so.
We're here to provide you with real value, and if we fail to do so, we also won't be asking you for payment. We believe that the customer is always right. We're in this for the long run and expect to make the majority of our revenue through long-term customer relationships.
Signup form for Tbilisi home finding service
Not a fan of filling forms? Just leave your contact info and we can talk things through on the phone!
Not looking to move to Tbilisi but interested in other locations?
Sign up below for updates – we’re planning to have this service available in other countries later this year!
Any questions or feedback? Please reach out in the chat at the lower right corner. If I don’t reply immediately, leave your email and I’ll get back to you within 24 hours!