Are you moving house in the New Year? With Christmas looming, it’s tempting to forget about 2014 until it happens, but as I write, it’s less than three weeks until the 1st January!

Even if you’re using a removals firm, you may be doing your packing yourself, and if you’re planning a DIY move with a hired van, then you need to be doubly thorough and efficient with your packing.

Car and van hire firm Europcar has put together some tips to help you pack and prepare — have a quick read. I recently move house myself, and I can confirm that this advice does make a big difference and is well worth the early effort.

• Once you know you are going to be moving, have an initial clear out of possessions.
• Take stock of everything that needs moving and use Europcar’s van calculator online to book the right size van
• Book your van in advance to be sure you get the right vehicle for your needs
• Wrap up fragile items carefully
• Make use of pillows, blankets and duvets to pack around breakables
• Don’t fill up large boxes, as they’ll be too heavy to move
• Pack heavy items, like books, in smaller boxes to keep them manageable
• Colour code the boxes to identify where they need to go in the new house. This reduces stress at the other end
• Consider having the van delivered to you — you don’t want to have to go and collect it on the day, when you are trying to finish the last bits of packing

For more tips on DIY removals, click here for our free illustrated moving guide. Once you’re ready to book a hire van, then head on over to our van hire comparison engine to find the cheapest, closest van hire branch to your location. We can even do prices for one-way van hire, if you’re moving to a new area.

Finally, don’t forget to have a great Christmas and New Year before the move — I’m sure it will go brilliantly!