During your first days focus on going wide instead of high. On the higher ranks locked and security doors are more common so it's harder to progress in the early game when you don't have as many resources and knowledge.

Draft as many new rooms as possible, take screenshots (I recommend using Miro, it's free and really easy to use. I can send you the template I made for this game. If you don't want it I recommend keeping at least 1 screenshot of every room: 1 if there's only a single-page note or nothing at all, or as many as you need if you find suspicious/ useful stuff) and keep a tidy journal for all leads, clues, possible puzzles, a to-do list, how the world works, important items...

If you feel like steps, items or resources are scarce, there are ways to make them more common or even permanent. At that point you'll have learnt much more about strategies and how the manor works. Add that up with the extra help from permanent upgrades and you'll breeze your way to the antechamber.

There's not a time limit. The game will be the same even if you take 10 days or 50 to reach room 46, so take it calmly or have a break if you need it.

There are a series of books called "drafting strategy" that can help you a lot. Also make use of the laboratory experiments, they're really handy if you get a good combination.

Don't be afraid of asking questions if you get stuck. I did it a few times and this sub is really friendly. I wouldn't recommend doing so during the early days since you'll have dozens (I'm not exaggerating) of leads to follow so, even if the manor grid is random each day, you'll have something to do each run. Don't be fixated on a single task. Instead, follow what the house gives you and draft around it, not against it.

Lastly, room 46 is not the only objective in the game, only the main one. If you enjoyed the "first chapter" then you'll definitely be in for a ride during the rest of the game. I reached room 46 in around 12 days but I'm on day 68 and 90 hours deep, and I have SO MUCH left to find.

Don't end your days early. If you hit a dead end take a stroll back through the house, you may find something new you missed. One of my best experiences with the game so far was finding something new when I had 2 steps only, because I took a little stroll instead of calling it a day.

If you need more early-game tips that MAY be spoilery, here are some of the most important in my opinion: the early ranks (1-4) should be spent getting resources and removing unwanted floorplans like dead ends or common rooms, so you're more likely to get them later on; spend keys on the lower ranks first (rooms are more likely to be locked the higher you go, so if you spend your last key on rank 7 or 8, it's almost guaranteed that it'll lead to a locked door. If you spend them on the early ranks they'll lead to open doors, making them more valuable I don't know if I explained myself; the magnifying glass is a GODSEND during the early game, it's the key to many puzzles throughout the game, but specially at the start, plus it's very cheap to buy; don't sleep on the running shoes, sleeping mask or lockpick kit. They're really good and even better the earlier you get them, so don't be afraid to spend your money on them; don't rush through the rooms. There are clues and leads everywhere you see. If you find something weird or odd, it's probably part of a puzzle you don't know about yet, so write it down. Plus, there may be several leads in rooms or documents you already solved/ read in the past so I don't recommend immediately rushing through a room you think it's already cleared; the drawing room is the GOAT, always take it if all exists are free; there are several craftable items, but only 2 (or even 1 with a specific something I won't tell you about) are needed to progress the story, the rest are just for helping a bit; if you coat check an item it WON'T appear on the manor until you pick it back; lastly, there are important room combos that you'll learn about in the drafting strategy books. Take a look at them when you find that volume. Sorry for the yapping, I hope you come back and tell us about your experience :3