At this time of year, everyone is looking for the magic bullet to quickly and easily take care of their leaf and debris problem. The big secret is - there IS no good way to remove leaves...just good old fashioned labor (and a backpack blower!).
I start by taking a good look at the yard. I determine the direction in which I want to send the leaves and debris, then start blowing the leaves in that direction. Often times, I include the leaves in the beds; blowing the leaves away from the beds and towards that direction.
Once I get all the leaves and pinestraw moved to one side of the yard, we usually use a large tarp to rake the debris onto. Then the good old fashioned labor comes in - a strong crew member must manually lift the tarp laden with leaves and pinestraw and carry it to the street.
This service runs on an hourly basis. The degree to which we clean up is entirely up to your preference and what your budget will allow.
One last comment - these "yard and lawn vacuums" are good for light duty, but for most yards are ineffective.
