for your budget, I would suggest getting something 2nd hand cos you will end up saving more than you expect. for the amount that you've saved, you could probably get a decent amp as well.
for a start, list down a few guitars that you think you might like. after that go to youtube and find videos that can help you get a rough idea on how those guitars sound like. from there, I suppose the last thing to do is try the guitar yourself to ensure that it feels comfortable to play with.