Depends on your personality. But if you're a worthless coward like me, you'd like to barricade the windows and doors that lead to the outside. Having those things done allows you to more easily adapt to the coming situation. There is always a moment of panic, and there is nothing wrong with that. Sometimes just running away is okay. However, having those barricades protecting you from outside forces, can give you the necessary time to regain control over yourself and be ready for what comes out.
Keep some Wood and Nails on you during the night. I do keep 2 stacks and 1 stacks of Wood (2), Nails (1). Which is 20 Wood Planks and 50 Nails. Why? In case your barricade gets destroyed and the threat that came from behind it neutralized, attempt to rebuild the barricade asap. If the doors were destroyed during the process, and you can afford it, rebuild the doors asap as well. Keeping everything locked will save your life. Some things are extremely dangerous out there, but apparently a wall is a wall to them. So... Mark my words. Keep things shut. Always keep things shut. Just don't accidentally paralyze yourself in one room. You have to be able to manouver.
Onto that in the next section.

Whether you're a cowboy that likes running around and shooting things in the face, a brute that enjoys melee combat or a little whimp, waiting for things to go away in a corner, you should never restrict yourself to a single room. The thing about doing that is... You'll never quickly handle things. Whether it'd be... Things... Or... Bigger things. You will have to sooner or later reload your gun, get back to avoid incoming damage or hide in case you're fatally wounded. Being restricted to only sitting inside a single room is dangerous, because sometimes... You have to run away. This is why you should keep some more rooms available to you, or just one. If the space is big enough... One room is enough, but it better be a huge freaking room.
Basically, if there is something out to get you, right next to you, you better have some space to get back, and not basically none and get cornered instantaneously. Then await your death, as you're being beaten to a pulp without a chance to escape.

In order to have a location prepared for the night, there are several things you can do besides barricading. Although barricading is the most important thing.
Prepare traps in front of barricades. Sometimes eliminating the threat, before it becomes capable of destroying your defenses is a good thing. Bear Traps planted in tiny passages or in front of windows allow you to intercept enemies, before they can get to chewing down on your wood planks blocking the window or doors. Of course, without having a direct access to the corpse of your enemy, because it is behind a barricade, you won't be able to take whatever he was carrying. Although, usually, that shouldn't be a problem. Unless you're looking for bottles... Or alcohol. In that case... it might be a problem. Because hostiles visiting your shack, are usually the main source of both of these things.

Just don't accidentally plant Bear Traps in such a way, that you're going to be the one who steps into them. The issue with Bear Traps is that... They're just as capable of blocking your enemy from entering as they are capable of blocking you from leaving. Plant bear traps only in pathways that you are certain, you aren't going to use in case something weird happens in night. Basically, I would avoid planting Bear Traps inside your hideout, because then when fighting someone that broke in, you might just... Back into it and... Well, you're kinda dead.

There are those little chairs around your Hideout. you can use them to keep the doors opened. Why would you want to keep the doors opened? In the first Hideout... You have... Two rooms, connected to each other... One of them contains a Workbench, and the other one is a small room, with cracks in the wall, through which you can look into the Bedroom. There are two doorways leading to those two rooms, and one doorway connecting them. There is a doorway that leads to the outside, there is a doorway that leads into a room with a dilapidated wall through which one can easily enter. And then... There is a doorway, which you can fix, between those two rooms.
Now, in case you didn't get it. I'm going to draw you this thing in paint.

Alright... Basically... IF YOU FIX THE PRESENTED HERE OPTIONAL DOOR, YOU MAY WISH TO KEEP IT OPEN AT ALL TIMES, UNLESS YOU WISH TO BARRICADE DURING A RED ALERT SITUATION (WHICH MEANS, REALLY BAD). BUT USUALLY YOU WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT OPEN, TO BE ABLE TO RETREAT EASILY OR LET THE LIGHT IN. SO, IN ORDER TO KEEP IT OPEN, USE THE LITTLE CHAIR AND BLOCK THE DOORS WITH IT. THIS KEEPS... IT OPEN... USUALLY. JUST REMEMBER THAT THE DOORS... WILL BUG OUT WHEN YOU LOAD THE GAME, AND YOU HAVE TO... BLOCK THEM AGAIN WITH THE CHAIR.

Just don't accidentally position the chair in such a way, that it's going to block you constantly. Do it smart. Would you?

Not all tools you'll encounter are something you're going to need. There are a lot of various threats in Darkwood, but... Some tools are... Already serving the thing... You... Have another tool to serve.
For example. Healing.
You can... Achieve those in many ways. But usually, you're going to use Bandages or not get hurt at all. Later into the game... Screw it, every point in the game, you are going to get hurt... Unless, you are really good. And when you get hurt, it's better to restore yourself to full health.
So... Without spoiling anything, there are many ways to heal yourself. There are... Bandages. Then you can upgrade those using alcohol into... Bandages with Alcohol. There are... Healing Pills... And then there are... Food Items.
You can imagine yourself using all these things at various times. Use Bandages when out of combat. Use Pills when wanting a quick heal. And eating Food when you have Food.
But you don't have to. You can boldly assume, that you're only going to need... Food and Pills. Or just Bandages. You don't have to stack all three. But why? You may ask. Why wouldn't you like to stack all three items in your inventory? Cuz... Cuz... Your inventory is very small and it needs also space to keep stuff you find on your way to doing stuff. So... Keeping as few items in your inventory as possible is neat.
Now. You may also... You may also want to keep this stuff, you're not going to use somewhere around the house. The Workshop... Some Wardrobe. Some other thing... But if you don't feel like it, sell it. Who cares? If you're not feeling like using it, sell it and buy something you might need. In big numbers, preferably bullets. Or Boards... Or Nails... Or Pills.

Besides healing, you're also going to need. A Melee weapon. Without spoiling anything, you better keep just one in your active hotkey slots. You don't have to immediately switch to a melee weapon that looks better. Each weapon has its strengths and weakness. Although, yes. Some are much better than others. But not like... Better in every way. Situationally, it's better to keep a fast-hitting low-damage weapon than to switch to a slow-moving high-stamina-cost weapon.

Then, you're going to need... A... You know... I'm not going to ruin you the fun. You'll figure it out on your own. Just remember to keep your inventory small and not... Have too many things at you at once.

If you're certain some things are too impractical or uncool for you, sell them. If you're not certain whether or not you're going to need something, put it inside a box, or some other thing in which you can keep stuff. Just... Not the... Nevermind.

Yes, although it's not something I would recommend if you're not comfortable with doing so. Although, it's something you'll have to do, as you progress into the game. The first Hideout is conveniently designed to accept your... Fear. But as the game progresses, you'll have to run around... Fight around... Do stuff.
And how do you do this stuff?
Easy.
You use your weapons.
You do other things...
And...
Eh, you'll figure it out.
Bye.