Purchasing a Residential Mailbox?

May 25, 2016

Here’s What You Need to Know Before You Buy A Residential Mailbox

Like most homeowners who receive walk up mail delivery, you may find yourself in unfamiliar territory when looking to buy a residential mailbox for your home.

Unlike buying furniture or garden supplies, buying a residential mailbox occurs very infrequently and in essence, may be a very unfamiliar purchase for you.

Yet, as a homeowner, you understand that your residential mailbox is both a key accessory that will be utilized nearly every day plus, your home mailbox is also a key design element that signals the architectural style of your home to the entire community.

When you buy a residential mailbox it is both an important and infrequent purchase. The experts at The MailboxWorks (the nation’s leading retailer of residential mailboxes) offers the following 5 tips for buying a mailbox for your home. You will need to decide:

Which mailbox type you need
What mailbox features you want
What architectural style do you need in a residential mailbox
What mailbox color and finish do you want
Which mailbox vendor do you want to buy a residential mailbox from

Mailbox Type

First, the mailbox experts at The MailboxWorks recommend that you start the mailbox purchase process by determining which one of the four primary types of residential mailboxes do you currently use:

Do you wish to utilize the same type of mailbox you currently have? Or will you be installing a residential mailbox on your property for the first-time? Either way, The MailboxWork’s experts recommend that you first contact your local postmaster to confirm which type of mailbox is permissible. Often, your local postmaster will have specific advice on what type of residential mailbox they require or will allow for walk up mail delivery in your local area.

Mailbox Features

Once you have identified the type of residential mailbox you want to purchase, the mailbox experts recommend that as a homeowner, you consider the practical features you most desire or need in a mailbox.

Due to the increase in mail theft and identity theft, buying a residential mailbox with a secure lock is highly recommended. All four types of residential mailboxes are now available with security features such as locking mechanisms.

Additionally, you should consider whether you wish to add a mailbox address plaque or house numbers when you buy a residential mailbox so that friends, family, and emergency response personnel can quickly locate your home.

Other unique mailbox features that you should consider include newspaper holders and signal flags (to help the mail carrier know whether outgoing mail is inside the mailbox). Should you buy a residential mailbox in a larger size? Mail volume can increase over vacation periods or holidays and especially if you run a home based business.

Mailbox Architectural Style

Thirdly, the experts at The MailboxWorks advocate that you should consider how your residential mailbox will augment the architectural style of your home. All four types of residential mailboxes are available in a wide variety of architectural styles such as Victorian, modern, traditional, Art Deco, and more.

The style of the residential mailbox you buy should compliment your home and provide a clear signal to those visiting as to the style of home you live in.

Mailbox Color & Finish

The fourth consideration to think about is the mailbox color and finish you would want when you buy a residential mailbox.

Unlike the architectural style of the mailbox, the color and finish can either compliment or provide contrast to the style and finish of your residence. For example, a white house can provide a stunning background to a brightly-colored mailbox while a rust-colored brick home is beautifully complimented with a neutral color such as black, white, or bronze finish.

Buy A Residential Mailbox from a Recognized Vendor

The final consideration to think about when you buy a residential mailbox is where you should purchase the mailbox from.

Most big box stores now carry a small selection of residential mailboxes, along with thousands of other products they carry. This minimizes your choices to find the residential mailbox that’s perfect for your situation. They do not understand the products they sell nor do they provide help when shipping issues arise or when a product fails.

The MailboxWorks has been a leading retailer of both residential and commercial mailboxes since 1989. We provide our customers with a wonderful shopping experience either online or on the phone.

If you need help buying a mailbox, we can be reached at 1-866-717-4943 or by email.

Categorized in: Locking Mailboxes, Residential Mailboxes