When it comes to making any community attractive to prospective residents or buyers, appearance is one of the most important things you can focus on. Property owners, managers, and homeowners’ associations must focus on first impressions. A property’s curb appeal is vital, and is literally that: what new tenants and buyers first see when visiting a property for the first time.
When it comes to curb appeal, most think of a home’s paint job, a neighborhood’s color scheme, and landscaping. Mailboxes can be easily missed, but they were often the first part of a property seen by others (and also often the closest to the curb.)
Therefore, finding the right mailboxes is important when it comes to enhancing the curb appeal of any property. The good news is that mailboxes, no matter which type, can be customized to enhance curb appeal no matter which type of residential property you manage.
Customized Mailboxes For Condos and HOA’s
When managing an entire community such as condominiums or when working to make an entire neighborhood more attractive, mailboxes are important. The good news is that these types of neighborhoods often use curbside mailboxes, often multi-family ones. These types of mailboxes have the most potential for customization.
Curbside mailboxes, as the name suggests, sit near a curb and receive USPS delivery so long as they meet the USPS requirements for curbside mailboxes. They can come as single-family units, mounted on a single post, or as multi-family mailboxes with up to eight customer compartments and two posts.
Everything from the post to the mailbox itself can be customized. This customization ranges from mailbox color to toppers to the style of the address numbers on each box. This makes it easy for property managers to use mailboxes to match a community’s palette.
Mailboxes also come in a variety of colors and finishes. Gone are the days where all mailboxes were simple metal units designed to withstand harsh weather conditions. Now, mailboxes come in a variety of tasteful colors such as white, cream, beige, green, black, gray, and more.
Many mailboxes can also come with address numbers and plates in a variety of metals and colors for contrast. Posts, which are usually ignored by those purchasing mailboxes, can also be customized to make an ordinary-looking mailbox appear classy.
Victorian-style mailboxes can also be ordered to add a classy look to any neighborhood. These mailboxes are elegant and come in a small variety of metallic colors and finishes.
Other residential mailboxes can be recessed into brick pillars to fit the look of a condominium community, eliminating the need for a post altogether. However, these mailboxes still need to meet USPS requirements for installation, height, and distance from the curb.
Customizing Centralized Delivery For Apartments and Other Communities
Many communities make use of centralized mail delivery systems, in which all resident mailboxes are in one place. Usually, this is a centralized location or near the front of a community, and many community managers prefer these types of mailboxes for their durability and because it leads to less maintenance. Some residents prefer this mailbox type as well, because centralized systems are secure and usually include parcel lockers.
Usually, centralized mailboxes are of the 4C variety, which means they consist of many horizontal units and parcel lockers together in one cabinet. They can come as pedestal models mounted on concrete or as wall-mounted and recessed models that are installed onto or into walls. Generally, these types of mailboxes have limited options for customization, though they come in a few different colors and styles.
However, landscaping and the right placement can make these mailboxes lend a classy, organized look to any community. Mail kiosks are often used to house these types of mailboxes, and the customization with them is endless.
Mail kiosks, while they require more setup, have the most potential for customization. These kiosks, which usually house recessed 4C mailboxes, can be built in any way that allows for easy USPS delivery and for safe, easy mail pickup. Many creative ideas exist for such kiosks, ranging from brick setups to beach huts. They can truly capture the vibe of any community.
Mail kiosks often include safety lighting as well, so that residents have a safe area in which to collect their mail and packages.
Even without the use of a mail kiosk, recessed 4C mailboxes can enhance the look inside of a community clubhouse while providing a safe area out of the weather for residents to collect their mail.
Safety is a Top Tenant Concern
When mail theft is a concern, it may be worth it to invest in locking mailboxes. These types of mailboxes can help to prevent the theft of important mail and small packages. They’ll also give current and prospective residents the peace of mind they need when they’re deciding whether to move into your community.
When residents are looking at a community for the first time, the safety of an area is one of the top concerns. Mail theft and package theft are big concerns in today’s world, with package theft being one of the top concerns. In fact, package theft has risen during 2020 with the increase in online shopping.
The presence of locking mailboxes and parcel lockers will reassure potential residents that mail theft will not be a major concern. Even some curbside mailboxes can come as locking units if the theft of regular mail may be a problem in an area.
Parcel lockers can be added to any community when porch theft becomes an issue or may become one, so that busy residents can rest easy, knowing that their packages are safe during working hours. Parcel lockers can be installed into mail kiosks and beside existing, centralized setups.
Get Started Today
When it comes to making any community shine, mailboxes are on the front lines of the battle. They are the first thing that potential residents and buyers see when looking at a community for the first time, and they can reassure residents that their mail will be safe as well. Get started today by contacting us. We’re here to help find the right mailboxes for you.
