If you have spent any time looking at homes in the north end of Halifax, you already know that Rockingham does not come up for sale very often. When something does come available on Cresthaven Drive, it tends to move. The street sits inside Cresthaven Estates, a subdivision that backs directly onto Hemlock Ravine Park, and that alone puts it in a different category from most of what is listed in the city at any given time.
198 Cresthaven Drive is now for sale. I am the listing agent, so I will be upfront about that. But I want to use this post to talk about why this specific home and this specific location are worth understanding before you decide whether to book a showing.
The Neighbourhood First
Rockingham is one of those areas where people buy once and stay. The streets are quiet, the lots are larger than what you find closer to the peninsula, and the access is genuinely good. Bedford Highway runs along the bottom of the neighbourhood, which means you are a short drive from essentially everything: Bayers Lake Business Park, the Canada Games Centre, the Keshen Goodman Library, Halifax Shopping Centre, and the highway on-ramps for anyone commuting in any direction.
Cresthaven Estates specifically backs onto Hemlock Ravine Park. That is 197 acres of trails, trees, and open space that you can walk to without getting in your car. For anyone who values that kind of access, it is difficult to overstate what it means to have it literally at the end of your street.
The schools assigned to this address are Grosvenor-Wentworth Park Elementary, Clayton Park Junior High, and Halifax West High School.
What 198 Cresthaven Drive Actually Looks Like
The home is a three-bedroom, four-bathroom two-storey built in 1987 on a 7,003 square foot lot. The current owners have lived here for years and maintained it seriously. There is a documented repair and improvement history going back to 2017 that covers nearly every major system in the house.
The kitchen was renovated in 2023. White shaker cabinetry, quartz countertops and backsplash, a large island with bar seating, under-cabinet LED lighting. The eating area sits just off the kitchen with French doors opening to the living room and a separate door to the back deck. It is a layout that works for a busy household.
The family room has a propane fireplace with a decorative surround and mantel, installed new in 2023. Refinished hardwood floors. A heat pump on the wall. When that fireplace is going, this room is exactly what a family room should be.
Upstairs, the primary bedroom is large, with wainscoting, plantation shutters, a walk-in closet, and a 4-piece ensuite. It connects through to a bonus room above the garage that is genuinely impressive: two skylights in the sloped ceiling, a ceiling fan, hardwood floors, and enough space to function as a home office, studio, or sitting area. That room alone gets a reaction from everyone who walks through.
The basement is finished across two living zones, with a wall of built-in white cabinetry and shelving, a separate lounge area, a home office nook, and a half bath. It is the kind of basement that actually gets used.
Outside, a large wood deck with built-in bench seating steps down to a stone patio, with mature trees providing privacy along the rear of the lot.
The Updates That Matter
New roof in 2024. Three new skylights in 2024. All windows replaced in 2018. New propane fireplace insert in 2023. New hot water heater in 2023. Generator panel with exterior inlet plug installed in 2024. Upgraded sump pump in 2024. Four heat pumps, serviced and maintained throughout. Luxury vinyl flooring installed throughout the main and upper levels in 2021. The full update list goes back to 2017 and covers everything from the front walkway to the dryer ducting.
Buyers who have been through enough Halifax homes know how rare it is to find a property where the maintenance history is this complete and this current.
If You Want to See It
This is a home that photographs well, but it shows better in person. The bonus room above the garage, the scale of the basement, and the privacy of the backyard are things that land differently when you are standing in them.
To arrange a viewing, call me at 902-497-3031 or visit RoyThomas.ca. I am happy to answer questions before you come through.
