A few simple precautions can help make your home less of a target for thieves, according to Consumer Reports.

More homes are broken into during summer than any other season, statistics from the National Crime Council showed.

Marti Schoenberg is a prime example. While she was away on a summer trip, Shoenberg said a thief broke into her home, found her keys she'd left in plain sight and stole her car.

"Most people walk into their home, they throw their keys on some surface inside their home, right?" Schoenberg said. "Frequently, I also didn't lock my inside garage door," she added.

Forgetting to lock the inside garage door and leaving valuables in plain view make your home more of a target for thieves, according to Consumer Reports. While many burglars kick doors in to gain access, Consumer Reports said the door isn't usually the weak spot.

"The problem is the strikes are held by three quarter-inch screws," said John Galeotafiore of Consumer Reports. "It doesn't go into the main beam of the building. So when you kick in the door, it just breaks away this little bit of wood," he continued.

Consumer Reports also tested solid wood doors and solid steel doors. Neither held up to a hard kick. The problem, Consumer Reports tests showed, was the doorjamb split near the lock's strikeplate. Galeotafiore said there is an easy, inexpensive fix. He recommended installing a metal reinforced box strike to exterior doors using three inch screws so they'll go into the framing. The box strikes are available for about $10 at most hardware stores.

Consumer Reports also recommended increasing security by lodging a pole against sliding glass doors and having good outdoor lighting installed. If the budget allows an alarm system, Consumer Reports suggested a system that includes sensors throughout the home instead of just on doors and windows.