Some of your possessions may require special handling, which means extra expense. Now, your address book and photo albums may not require kid gloves or a crate, but moving companies recommend that you keep them with you during a move -- along with your computer disks, financial and tax documents, jewelry, airline tickets, and the like. In other words, anything that can't be replaced.

Really big stuff -- outdoor play structures, hot tubs, satellite dishes, gas grills, and pool tables -- might call for a service company's help with dismantling and reinstallation. Special vans might be needed for very heavy items.

Movers usually are not responsible for damage to items you pack yourself.