Congratulations on your new home. Most likely there are building codes that set requirements for safety railings. Here it is 24". Like you, we didn't want an accidental fall so installed tempered glass so as not to block a view while providing protection. We installed "landing-style" steps for easier egress by senior citizens and secure transport when carrying things between the house and patio. As to building a patio, I suggest waiting a couple years for the backfill to fully settle. I've linked photos of ours Hope this helps. Good luck. Here is a link that might be useful: Patio and Back Lawn

We have a grill and a smoker, and both are away from the house. They are close, but the smoke doesn't get close to the house. At our other house, the kitchen was a built-in island, still away from the house. There was a bar and stools but nobody used them because the bar top in summer got too hot. The only cover was an umbrella. In the heat, being under a cover is great, but the smoke can be awful if it's drifting in the eyes of guests around a table. We keep the tables and seating in the shade, and the grills away and like it that way. As far as wind and rain, we have covers for both the grill and the smoker. Hubs secures them with bungie cords so the wind won't blow them off.

Here are two ideas, one with grass which is easy on the budget or with pea gravel more expensive. The first one is with Adirondack chairs, these are wood but you can find plastic ones too for approx. $20 each rather than wood and I think they look great! The second image is with a few pieces of patio furniture and a fire feature which can be as inexpensive as $30 and on up. Check out Craigslist for patio furniture and since were heading into Fall you'll probably find a good deal, good luck!

I like pavers and installed ours more than 20 years ago. They’ll adjust with the seasons if you’re in s frost zone where concrete will likely crack. Maintenance is minimal though it has been necessary to adjust a few brick from time-to-time. Ours is 24x26 with a 12x12 for the hot tub plus 9x5 for grilling. Size depends on how you anticipate using the space.