Don’t do built-in seating. Your butt (and budget) will thank you for it.

Indoor evenings on the couch are so last year, especially in a place like Santa Cruz County where the outdoors are accessible nearly year-round. Literally. Relaxing around a fire and under the stars is about to be the place for a perfect night. But a built-in fire pit can cost upward of $5,000 for an above-ground, propane-burning brick fire pit without installation. That’s a pricey upgrade.

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