Our philosophy is a simple approach that takes us all back to the time when business was done on a handshake and that promises came from the heart and a personal promise meant everything.
Our success is measured by how well we listen to our client; how well we surpassed their expectations and that we hit each timeline and budget target. It is our personal promise; our handshake, that brings the purpose to our business.
Before we created Berchtold Harris, we experienced first-hand through our own 33 home remodels that so often people in the design and building industry would give one number for the initial quote, and throughout the construction, architectural or design process see the number mysteriously jump to a much higher number. We also realized that most contractors were not gifted with an eye for detail and function. Through these lessons, we discovered we had a rare gift to pull all of these details together under our own watch and practice.
The story of how Berchtold Harris was formed was when Julie Berchtold was informally introduced to Charlize Theron by her real estate agent, Stamie Karakasidis at a house she was considering purchasing for investment purposes. Julie offered design and building ideas to maximize the property’s investment potential. The advice was meant only to be a friendly gesture that Julie had expected to be passed along to one of Charlize’s business managers or designers.
The comments were not passed on…
Impressed with Julie’s sincerity and design instincts, Charlize asked her if she would consider being the designer and builder for the project. She said she didn’t think anyone else could pull off the feat.
It came as such an unexpected request that Julie remembers standing in the kitchen unable to think as she had just given birth to her first child weeks before. In her sleep deprived state of mind, she thought of the pureness of the request. She thought Charlize, who has an impeccable eye and savvy business instincts, must see a special potential and talent worth following.
Julie, at the time, had only designed and remodeled her own properties for investment purposes. She never imagined taking on the stress of construction for anyone but herself. Julie decided, after a long pregnant pause standing in front of Charlize, that she would commit to Charlize’s offer. She wanted one thing in return, though: That the business arrangement was to be based on a handshake.
The project was finished in half the time Charlize expected and the project came in under the original and tight budget. The project was delivered days before her Oscar nomination.
Charlize subsequently hired Berchtold Harris to design and build four more projects. In hindsight, Charlize must have realized that just because a person has wealth that it didn’t mean it had to represent a calling card to charge a higher price.
The back-to-basics philosophy took hold and the foundation of Berchtold Harris was formed. The praise from Berchtold Harris’s clients is proof that each person desires the same thing in a business arrangement: Honesty, integrity and the ability to follow through on a handshake promise.
