Key things to look for?

I’m currently looking to buy a car and I am very keen on buying a VW Golf. For reference, the maximum I want to spend is roughly around 8/9k GBP. Obviously I know this isn’t going to get me a top spec car or a car with low mileage, so I’m asking is it worth buying a golf within this price range? And if so what are the key things I should look for? I’m pretty rubbish with cars so any advice is greatly appreciated!