One of the greatest investments you can make in your home is a fire pit. The weather in East Tennessee is especially conducive to fire pit fun for much of the year. Your yard does not have to be exceptionally large but I do suggest a fairly level location as far away from conversation areas as possible. The ash will travel quite a distance and can become a bit of a nuisance.
My personal opinion regarding size and shape is square or rectangle rather than round and the largest footprint possible. If you just want a place to sit and chat by the fire from time to time, then a smaller circular pit is a fine choice. But if you plan to enjoy quality time and useful activities, I would follow my first recommendation. And what do I mean by quality time and useful activities? We enjoy entertaining often in our home. One of our favorite get-together options is a BYOM (Bring Your Own Meat) party. We have customized metal grilling racks that make cooking just about anything you can imagine an absolute pleasure. We actually do not own a gas grill anymore. We do all of our outdoor cooking in a bullet smoker or over the fire pit.
Amazon is a great resource for a smorgasbord of fire pit tools and accessories. Snatch up a simple hot dog or marshmallow roasting stick to delight in some sinfully gooey smores. Grab a cast iron fry pan and cook up a delectable breakfast casserole. Pick up an unconventional salt block and sizzle up some spicy shrimp on the Barbie and carefully choose a special high heat tolerant baking stone to bake one of my personal favorites, fire pit pizza and calzones.
Building a fire pit is a great family project. You can purchase a kit or if you have a creative gene you can custom design your own. It definitely takes a bit of hard manual labor but it truly is a doable and enjoyable DIY project that will add value, functionality and beauty to your yard. Oh, and I dare not forget to mention the tons of fun a fire pit will add to the upcoming chilly autumn nights. So grab a blanket and a steamy cup of spiced apple cider, cozy up together and Fall into some fire pit fun.