Ever wish you could just wave a magic wand and your move would be planned and executed without a hitch? Well you can, minus the sparkles and giant pumpkin. Hire moving services provider and you won’t have to stress about choosing international mover, finding and packing boxes, or scheduling the big day.

A moving consultant is much like a wedding planner — they visit with you about important details like when and where you’re moving, what your budget is, and what you are (and are not) willing to do yourself. Depending on how involved you want to be they may check in with you frequently as they plan your move, or you may only hear from them when big decisions need to be made. Either way, they do the dirty work.

So how much does it cost? The moving consultant profession is not a well-defined one and can vary greatly, but generally speaking moving consultants do not charge their clients (the people moving), but instead build relationships with reputable service providers and receive a pre-determined fee or commission from them for sending your business their way. This system works because moving consultants are motivated to use only responsible, high-quality vendors so their clients get good service, the vendors enjoy high-volume business referrals, and clients often get special discounted rates negotiated by the moving consultant.

While the services of a moving consultant may be “free” they aren’t for those looking to move on the cheap. Moving consultants are used to hire, schedule, and troubleshoot professional services, not call up your friends and pull together a moving day pizza party. Moving consultants can be a great time and stress-saver, but only for those looking to hire out their entire move.