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4 Reasons to Include New Mailboxes in Your Apartment or Community Renovations

Eventually, every community and apartment complex will need a facelift. New carpet, paint, windows, and streetlights can go a long way towards enhancing a community’s look and attracting new residents.

Many community managers and owners overlook mailboxes as a way to boost curb appeal for a complex or community. Replacing older mailboxes with new, secure models can go a long way towards making renovations a success.

We’ll go over some great reasons to include new mailboxes in your apartment complex or community.

1. New Mailboxes Can Increase Property Value

Renovations can go a long way towards increasing the value of your properties. Curb appeal is a major factor in increasing the value of a property, whether that be a condominium community or an apartment complex. Having a good curb appeal will entice prospective tenants to rent at your property.

Mailboxes are often literally the closest thing to the curb in some communities, and even the centralized, multi-tenant units are easily visible in kiosks, clubhouses, and central outdoor areas.

Unlike the large, often unsightly mailboxes of the past, newer mailboxes come in a variety of colors and styles, and this is especially true for multi-unit curbside mailboxes. However, don’t dismiss the ability of centralized, horizontal mailboxes and freestanding models to add visual appeal to your complex or community.

The multi-unit mailboxes found curbside in condominium communities are very customizable and can easily fit the color theme of your community. They come in many colors, finishes, and styles, and everything from the mailbox posts to the address numbers can be customized. Accessories are also available and can make your renovations pop.

If you’re renovating an apartment complex or other community with centralized delivery, new 4C horizontal units can be recessed into walls or placed into attractive outdoor kiosks. These mailboxes also come in a variety of colors and a few different styles.

2. Newer Models Are More Secure

Mail theft is an issue taken seriously by the USPS. This problem often occurs when thieves “fish” mail from unlocked customer units.

Preventing your residents from falling victim to mail and package theft can be done by installing new mailboxes as part of a bigger renovation project. This is very true when you’re replacing older vertical or 4B mailboxes with newer 4C horizontal and freestanding mailboxes, as these new models are very durable and secure. All 4C mailboxes are locking and designed to resist tampering. Better yet, you can help prevent package theft by installing parcel lockers with these centralized units.

Parcel lockers are required when you’re installing at least ten customer units in a centralized setup, and you’ll need one parcel locker for every ten customer compartments. Residents will be able to access their packages at their own convenience using a special key provided to them (via their regular compartment) by a postal employee. Gone are the days where residents had packages stolen from in front of their apartment doors or from their porches.

Curbside mailboxes can also be ordered as locking models if you’re looking to stop mail theft in your community. These boxes allow the USPS employee to deliver mail through a slot. However, only the resident can access their mail compartment.

3. New Mailboxes May Be Required With Your Renovation

When you’re upgrading the look of your apartment lobby or community clubhouse, chances are you’re dealing with old carpet, paint, furniture, and mailboxes.

Some types of multi-unit mailboxes are being phased out. 4B mailboxes and vertical units are among those types, and these boxes can only be purchased to replace others of the exact same type if you’re seeking USPS delivery. In addition, these new 4B units must be installed in the same place as the old units and the area must not have been significantly changed.

If you’re in the midst of renovating an entire area or installing new mailboxes altogether, however, this won’t be the case. For new mailboxes that are part of a renovation, you’ll need to purchase new, USPS-approved 4C units.

If you’re dealing with old, damaged mailboxes, whether curbside or centralized, it may be time to replace them with new models anyway. The USPS will notify you if any mailboxes need attention or replacement, as delivery can be stopped if damage is not fixed or broken mailboxes are not replaced.

4. You Can Lower Your Maintenance Costs and Increase Profits

If you’re making major changes to your apartment complex or community, making a switch from older, weathered mailboxes to newer, weather-resistant models or even from multiple, scattered mailbox units to a centralized system can help you to lower maintenance costs in the long run. This can only help your bottom line.

Many residential apartment complexes have multiple old, vertical mailboxes in each building, and many condominium communities rely on many single curbside mailboxes. By switching to more consolidated delivery such as 4C horizontal or freestanding mailboxes, you may be able to eliminate the maintenance and repair costs of many small vertical units in individual apartment buildings. This can increase the profits generated by your property. And because 4C mailboxes come in a variety of colors, you can eliminate the need to have them treated to match your property’s color theme.

For communities and properties that will receive curbside delivery, switching from many single mailboxes to multi-unit mailboxes with two to eight compartments each can dramatically cut down on repairs and replacements for years to come.

However, 4C mailboxes are generally the best for increasing profits, due to their durable design, centralized delivery, and security.

Where to Start With Your Mailbox Renovations

Before you begin your property renovations, you’ll want to know which type of mailboxes you’ll need for your tenants, where you’ll be installing them, and how many customers you need to serve. You’ll also need to think about whether your tenants would do best with centralized delivery or curbside, multi-unit mailboxes.

We can help you determine which mailbox type would work best for your property and which type will suit your renovations and increase your property’s value. Give us a call today to get started.