February 13, 2026

4 Features That Will Make Your Next Home More Livable

So, you’re on the hunt for a new home. You probably have a rough sense of what you want: location, number of bed/baths — the list goes one. But there are a few features that will drastically improve your next home’s livability which you may not have considered.

These four features have become increasingly popular among homeowners, leading to an increase in resale value and which will make your home better suited to your lifestyle.

Multi-Purpose Rooms

Instead of guest bedrooms, people are now more interested in multi-use, flexible rooms. For many homeowners guest bedrooms don’t see many guests, eventually turning into storage spaces. So, to maximize the use of the whole house, many homeowners have said goodbye to “spare” rooms and hello to “multi-purpose” rooms.

They’ll transform these spaces into home offices, workout rooms, or play areas. Some have started using these as dual-purpose spaces, like interior stylist Max Hurd, who turned his unused guest bedroom into a unique dressing room and office. He created a unique space with a canopied sofa, and a set of drawers that doubled as a desk.

And if you still need to be guest-ready, you could use a hidden murphy bed while continuing to use the room in other ways.

Energy Efficiency & Sustainability

Energy-efficiency and sustainability features lower both your environmental impact, and your ongoing utility costs. That’s why more people are looking for them as standard offerings in new builds. That includes higher grade-insulation, energy efficient appliances, thermal insulated windows, heat pumps, and high efficiency HVAC systems. At Poetry Living, we’re proud to build with energy efficient materials and features for your comfort and peace of mind.

Smart Home Technology

Smart home devices can make for a more convenient living experience. For condos, that could mean keyless entry, smart locks, and smart surveillance systems, as well as virtual doorbells and smart locker systems for packages. In low-rise communities, that may include remote lighting control and smart thermostat control, all connected and controlled by app, as well as safety features like flood sensors and security measures.

At Poetry Living, our SmartLiving package includes a comprehensive list of smart home features that are seamlessly integrated into your home.

A Finished Basement

Finished basements are a great way to increase the livable square footage of your home, opening new possibilities for recreational rooms, movie theatres, playrooms, studios, exercise rooms, or for more practical applications, like upscale laundry areas, spare bedrooms, or offices. It also opens up new possibilities for renting out the space or as your own nanny suite.

At Ellis Lane Phase 2, on select models, we’re offering $75,000 finished basements for free. The spaces come complete with a wet bar, a bedroom, recreational room, and a three-piece bathroom. It’s a great way to get your own dream space, at no additional cost to you.

Are you looking for a home with a great list of features? Check out our communities to learn more.