doing up a house on a budget

Out,_Vile_Jelly

I got my carpets done by a local independent firm; they were significantly cheaper than CarpetRight, and were also able to do them more quickly.

I wouldn't worry to much about making it "perfect" for your daughter. My mum describes how horrific our family home was when we first moved in; lime green kitchen units (and ceiling), chocolate brown hessian wallpaper that had to be laboriously scraped off, manky orange 70s carpets etc. I don't recall any of this; as a child I was just excited to have my own room where I could sleep in the top bunk, and a big garden. What kind of self-respecting kid notices window frames or kitchen fittings?!

buildersdaughter

I echo the advice about your daughter, and definitely let her help, both by choosing, and with regard to safety & skills, helping paint / do up stuff. I did that as a child and remember it fondly.
Carpets:
Do you actually need them? What are the basic floors like? Wood can be sanded and varnished, basic tiles can be perfectly OK. Rugs can be bought cheaply and brighten up a room. Sometimes this can be too cold, and you need the insulating properties of carpeting. In one house I lived in, we used cork floor tiles - not cold on the feet, relatively cheap (then), kept a few as replacements in case of damage.
Kitchen:
Consider not getting a fitted one. Lots of charity & junk shops have kitchen tables, dressers, old cupboards etc. Because fitted kitchens are so popular, this stuff can be very cheap, and look lovely when sanded and varnished / painted. Look at putting up simple shelving, and storing stuff in old jars.

Freegle / freecycle - loads of useful stuff, and if it doesn't work for you, pass it on.

It's always a good idea to live awhile basically and simply in a new home, so you work on what goes best in different places, and how to work with the way you move around the house in general and kitchen in particular.

Good luck (and consider going on the 'In My Home' board for advice.