The first thing you notice from the street is how well this home presents. The blue-grey vinyl siding with crisp white trim, new garage doors, a stone retaining wall along the front, and mature trees framing the lot give it a presence that is easy to drive past too quickly. The address number is right there on the door casing. It looks like a home that has been cared for, and it has.
Built in 1987, this three-bedroom, four-bathroom two-storey sits on a 7,003 square foot lot in the Cresthaven area of Rockingham, one of Halifax’s most established family neighbourhoods. The home has been steadily and thoroughly updated since 2017, with a documented improvement list covering nearly every major system and surface.
The main floor is organized around a layout that works: kitchen and eating area at the back, family room off to one side, formal living room to the other, and a main floor laundry that keeps the household running without trips to the basement.
The kitchen was renovated in 2023 and it shows. White shaker-style cabinetry with glass-front upper display cabinets, quartz countertops and backsplash, a large island with bar seating, under-cabinet LED lighting, a new stainless sink and faucet, and updated electrical outlets and switches. The eating area is separate from the island, with pendant lighting and French doors that open to the formal living room. A door from the eating area leads directly to the rear deck, which makes outdoor dining or moving between spaces easy in warmer months.
The formal living room is a bright, well-proportioned space with large windows on two walls, plantation shutters on one window, and a heat pump head mounted neatly on the wall. Luxury vinyl flooring runs throughout. It is the kind of room that works well whether people are gathering or one person is reading in a corner chair.
The family room sits between the kitchen and the living areas and is anchored by the propane fireplace, installed new in 2023. The surround and mantel are decorative and well-finished, the hardwood floors have been refinished, and the heat pump on the wall handles temperature year-round. When the fireplace is going, this room is exactly what a family room should be.
Upstairs, the skylit hallway at the top of the stairs makes an immediate impression. Natural light comes down through a new skylight directly above the landing, and the hallway opens up with enough width to feel like a proper transition space rather than a corridor. The primary bedroom is through the door at the end of the hall.
The primary bedroom is large. Wainscoting runs along the lower walls, the floors are hardwood, and the windows are fitted with plantation shutters. A heat pump provides independent climate control. The walk-in closet and 4-piece ensuite are off the main room. A door in the primary bedroom leads through to the bonus room above the garage.
That bonus room is one of the real differentiators of this property. It is a proper room, not an afterthought. Two large skylights in the sloped ceiling flood it with natural light. There is a ceiling fan, hardwood floors, and enough square footage to function as a home office, studio, nursery, dressing room, or sitting area. Because it connects directly to the primary suite, it functions as private extra space rather than a shared hallway room.
The two secondary bedrooms are both well-sized with luxury vinyl flooring, closets, and individual heat pumps. A full bathroom serves the upper level.
The basement is genuinely finished and usable, not just technically done. The main rec room area features an extensive wall of built-in white cabinetry with open shelving above, providing storage that most basements lack. A second lounge area at the far end of the basement provides a separate space for a TV room, games room, or kids’ hangout. A third area off the main rec room includes a home office nook and the half bath. The basement is carpeted throughout and has recessed lighting.
Outside, the private backyard is set up for actual use. A large wood deck with built-in bench seating and a planter box steps down to a stone patio, and mature trees along the rear provide privacy without making the yard feel closed in. The yard is not overlooked. The rear view of the house from the yard shows the new skylights on the roof, the new windows, and the clean lines of a home that has had work done correctly.
The improvement history on this property is both reassuring and unusual in its detail. The roof on the house and garage was replaced in 2024. Three skylights were replaced in 2024 with new Velux-style units. All windows were replaced in 2018 with new PVC-framed units. The front door and all exterior doors were replaced in 2018. The house was painted exterior in 2018 including all trim. New aggregate concrete front walkway in 2017. New stone retaining wall in 2017. New back deck in 2017. New stone patio in 2017. New garage doors and tracks in 2018. Driveway repaired and sealed in 2020. New air exchange system in 2020.
Inside: new propane fireplace insert in 2023, new quartz kitchen in 2023, new hot water heater in 2023, new pressure reducing valve at main water shut-off in 2023, leaf screens on all eavestroughs in 2023, luxury vinyl flooring installed throughout main and upper levels in 2021 replacing wall-to-wall carpet, hardwood refinished in dining room and family room in 2022, new guest bathroom fixtures and updates in 2021. Generator panel with exterior inlet plug installed in 2024. New upgraded sump pump in 2024. Four heat pumps, with multiple service and component replacements documented across 2017 to 2024. New metal dryer ducting to outside in 2025.
The location warrants attention. Cresthaven Drive sits within easy walking distance of Hemlock Ravine Park, a 197-acre natural area with five connected trails. The Canada Games Centre, with its pool, fitness centre, running track, and ice surfaces, is minutes away. The Keshen Goodman Public Library, one of Nova Scotia’s largest public libraries, is close by. Bayers Lake Business Park, with Costco, Walmart, Winners, and dozens of other retailers and services, is a short drive. Halifax Shopping Centre and the West End Mall are similarly accessible. Bedford Highway transit routes connect directly to downtown Halifax.
The school catchment includes Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary, Rockingham Junior High, and Halifax West High School. Rockingham is consistently described as one of Halifax’s more diverse and well-serviced suburban communities, with a mix of green space, community infrastructure, and convenient access to both Highway 102 and Bedford Highway.
For a family that has been waiting for a home that has been properly maintained, is in a well-connected neighbourhood, and offers flexibility in how the spaces are used, 198 Cresthaven Drive is worth a serious look. The bones are solid, the upgrades are real, and the location earns its reputation.
Listed by Roy Thomas, SRES, Sutton Group Professional Realty. Roy has been helping Halifax families through real estate transitions since 1991, serving over 1,500 families. For more information or to arrange a viewing, visit RoyThomas.ca or call 902-497-3031.