You don't need to build a fancy home, but you will need to do a lot of crafting and build stations to have access to better gear. You can just do it quick and dirty though.

The game is not hard, even in solo. You just need to understand that It's a crafting game, not an rpg to be rushed from one boss to the next.

The one thing that may not work is how punishing the game is when you die. All your stuff end up in your grave and you need to get it back. For a lot of players it is a crushing, devastating moment.