[gila_dog]

Personally, I don't want packages left out by the main highway. Too easy to steal. Also, you don't say where you are, but if you have a lot of snow in the winter, the snowplows are going to pile snow all over your mailbox. We have a bigger size mailbox that will hold small packages. The PO puts what they can in the mailbox, and if it doesn't fit they leave a card telling us we have a package to pick up. UPS/FedEx bring things to the house and leave them under the porch. If you plan to fence your yard (do that if you're going to have a dog), you should put a big box outside your gate for UPS/FedEx to leave things. Don't expect them to come thru your gate, especially if you have a dog. As somebody else said, also think about propane deliveries, and if you are going to have a well, make sure there's room for a service truck to get close to the well. Same for your septic tank.