I would like to move from 10 shared hosting sites to a VPS but do not know anything about setting the servers, file transfer, app installs etc.

Can you please recommend a resource / book for VPS newby?

Just curious why your interested in consolidating to a single vps? In other words, what are the determing factors? Price, peformance, complexity?

Now opinion; it really makes me sad that the world has moved this way, that developers are now expected to be sys admins. I do it myself. I'm a pretty good developer, but I'm no sys admin. I feel like sys admin as a profession has been devalued to an astonishing degree in recent years. I blame the easy and cheap availability of cloud services like linode and digital ocean and developer moving in mass to procuring and provisioning their own servers.

I'm to blame as well, but a good sys admin brings A LOT to the table. Keeping configuration sane and secure, keeping things patched. I've worked with a few who are really good, I miss having good sys admins when the job doesn't have them.

Yes cost, but if you are suggesting I should hire a sys admin to handle the vps then that is a consideration. Where does one find a reliable sys admin to do misc vps tasks etc?

I wasn't suggesting you hire a sys admin, I was lamenting this "everyone should be a sys admin" culture we have come into. Personally, I'd pay someone to review my setups and point out anything glaring, but have not gone that far yet.

I am a developer, currently (for more than half a year) improving on the sysadmin side. If you would like someone who's not necessarily as experienced; I am sure I could help you. Email me, my username at gmail.

Check easyengine! Had the same issue, solved it with it!