As a homeowner you know that your home reflects your personality and many an artsy type will not be long in also incorporating a decorative mailbox in the general home improvement.

But did you know that there are 10 distinctive decorative mailbox mistakes to avoid?

1. Is your decorative mailbox big enough? The post office has regulated the minimum size for a proper mail receptacle and if it is too small, your mail carrier may refuse to serve you.

2. Is your decorative mailbox accessible? While it may be unusual, unique, and most certainly distinctive to have your mailbox mounted in a tree, it will not be acceptable to the mail carrier who has to climb to deliver the mail.

3. If your mail is delivered from a vehicle, the box needs to be mounted at an appropriate height. Your distinctive pole that is too tall or too short may be a decorative mailboxes faux pas!

4. Is the box far enough away from the curb to accommodate snow plows in winter?

5. Booby trapping of mailboxes is seen by some as a deterrent for would-be identity thieves, but if the unique mechanism threatens to harm the mail carrier then your mail will no longer be delivered.

6. Some entrepreneurs have taken to decorate their mailbox in a unique manner displaying an ad for their home business; many a city has ordinances against such a practice. You will still get your mail, but it might contain a fine from your local municipality!

7. If your mailbox has an address displayed, it must not be covered up with decorations.

8. If your unusual decorations are seen to be offensive in any manner, you may find that both the post office and the city will ask you to remove them.

9. Perhaps the most distinctive decoration is the use of a non-mail receptacle and then turning it into a distinctive mailbox. Be careful! The post office will not look favorably on that.

10. Last but not least, of the 10 unusual, unique, and distinctive decorative mailboxes faux pas to avoid this is the most important one: attaching anything living to the décor. In other words, the mailbox or its post is not a good place for the beehive, the ant farm, or as a habitat for your pet rodents or snakes.