Shop-vacs can be found at value prices with stripped down features and accessories. That may be all you need for your projects. Household machines with greater portability and more features will run you more but have less heavy-duty uses. You want to consider a wet-dry vac as an investment, but one with a lifecycle marked by how frequently (and how hard) you use it. A whole house renovation will burn it out faster than the occasional run through the SUV and pick-up of broken potted plant. Luckily, you have affordable choices from which to select.