Whether it's a seaside beach home or a cabin in the woods, your vacation home likely spends many weeks unoccupied. This can make it a target for theft and vandalism. You can take steps to protect your home without making it look like a fortress.

Add Some Shutters

A secluded house in the woods or a home in a row of empty off-season vacation homes may look like an easy target to a thief or vandal. The most obvious entry point is often a window. There's no fear of unwanted attention from the sound of breaking glass on a secluded vacation home, unlike on year-round residences. Secure shutters, which can be made to look like regular wooden shutters, provide protection from both theft and storms that can shatter glass. Place landscape lights beneath each shuttered window to further discourage thieves from trying to gain entry.

Install Timers

A dark house is usually an empty house. A few well-placed timers on your interior and exterior lights can help your home look lived-in even when it's not. Select a timer that allows you to randomize times, so that the lights aren't on at the same time and for the same duration every single evening.

Make sure the lights in your landscaping are also set on timers, or programmed to come on automatically as the sun goes down. Place exterior lights near doors on the house or garage, or in areas that aren't easily visible to your neighbors. You can place these on timers or use a motion detector to activate them. Talk to experts such as MD Electrical LLC for more information.

It's also a good idea to place a timer on a radio. Set the radio to a talk station – not music – so the sound of a voice inside will give the impression that someone is home.

Upgrade Your Door

A basic window door may not do much to keep the bad guys out. Instead, upgrade to a metal security door with a metal door frame. Just like metal shutters, metal doors are painted to resemble wood and created with all the same decorative inset options. Switch to a metal frame, even if you stick with a wood door. It's more difficult for a thief to pry open a door with a metal frame.

Even after securing your vacation home, remember to remove valuables when you are shutting it up for the season. Don't leave jewelry, cash, important papers or firearms untended at a vacation property.