Carpets/DIY/Getting a flat looking good on a strict budget

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Hi all mum's netters!!
I posted on here recently about whether I should accept an offer for a one bed flat made by a housing association close to my original home-town.
I am currently living in insecure accomodation (renting a room in a house) with a horrible landlord and no security/tenancy agreement.
I decided to accept the offer and I get the keys to my brand new-build flat next week....yeyyyy!
My only worry is that my budget is extremely tight due to financial constraints and the recent loss of my job.
These properties have nothing in....they have lovely new kitchen and bathrooms, but no white goods, no cooker, no carpets, not even curtain poles...
I am very impatient (one of my major weaknesses!!) and a huge neat freak/fussy bugger!!!! I want everything looking tidy and done now!!
So my question is how do I get stuff done....i am absolutely useless/even a little scared of DIY .......i mean completely useless!
And how do I fund carpets, cooker, furniture etc on a budget?
I don't have a man or any family who can do things so it is down to me.
I am a little creative and I have a good eye for colours/design etc if that helps!!

Well, realistically, if you are on a budget, then you can't get everything done 'now'.
You will need to spend your first money on white goods, unless you are lucky enough to be able to get something off freecycle or someone in your circle who just happens to want rid of an old one at the time. You can save on them though - our local charity furniture shop sells white goods at bargain prices, and we usually get stuff from a 'seconds' warehouse, where you pay a fraction of the cost because it has a superficial scratch on it.
Furniture the same - wonderful bargains to be had on local FB selling sites, in local charity shops, in the local paper, or, once again, people give you stuff either people you know or try Freecycle.

Some cheap floor covering ideas - paint if concrete or wooden, big rugs (freecycle/charity shops) remnants/roll ends from a carpet shop are always cheaper than buying carpet by the metre.

Some councils have a house clearance service where they sell white goods and furniture v cheaply to anyone on a low income/benefits or you could try asking on your local freecycle/gumtree if anyone has old appliances/furniture they want to give away.

If your creative, paint is relatively cheap way to change how everything looks, as is fabric draped over sofas, used as curtains etc.

Do you have a budget at all for this? Could you borrow any money to get started or get interest free credit?

Do you already have any furniture? I started off in my first place with a blow up mattress and borrowed camping chairs and a box for a table. someone had left the cooker and for a while I used a shady window ledge/the bathroom sink as my fridge! Took me a couple of years to acquire everything I needed to make it a home as I was on a low income.

Get to IKEA for cheap small lamps, large rugs, blinds and house plants.

Prioritise a cooker, a mattress and a fridge with a freezer compartment.

Go from there!

(Have you got a small starting fund to throw at the above?)

Go to one of those appliance repair shops. They often sell reconditioned appliances cheap, like half off or two thirds of a new one.
Once you've got the necessities the fun starts. If you are handy with a paint brush and imagination you might pick up some furniture cheap or even free and make something beautiful and functional from it.
Be sure of course to keep an eye on your local fb pages

IKEA for curtains and curtain poles.
Paint floor boards and throw down some big IKEA sisal type rugs.
IKEA for cushions too.
Basically, go to IKEA, it's great for doing things on a budget and if you have a look on Pinterest etc you will get some ideas on how IKEA can look non-ikeaish.
Have fun and congratulations on your new home.

Once you've got the big things, the Range is quite good for basics, to make it more homely, too.

Check to see if there's a British heart Foundation furniture and electrical store near you.