Everything You Need to Know About Raising, Sliding or Re-Stumping a Queenslander
Queenslanders are wonderfully adaptable homes. Their elevated structure, timber frames, and classic proportions mean they can often be reimagined in ways that simply aren’t possible with slab-on-ground homes.
Raising, sliding, re-stumping, and re-levelling aren’t just technical terms — they’re tools that can unlock more space, better layouts, and a stronger foundation for the next chapter of your home.
Here’s how they work, and what they can help you achieve.
1. Why Raise or Slide a Queenslander?
Homeowners usually consider raising or sliding a Queenslander when they want to:
Create more usable space — for living areas, bedrooms, a garage, or a workshop under the existing house
Improve the floor plan — for example, moving bedrooms upstairs and living spaces down
Maximise the block — shifting the house to make room for an extension, pool, or better yard layout
Capture views, breeze or light — by adjusting height or orientation
Join two structures — such as sliding a house closer to another dwelling to create a larger connected home
These changes can completely transform how the home feels and functions, while keeping the original character intact.
2. Re-Stumping & Re-Levelling – Strengthening the Base
Re-stumping is the process of replacing old or failing stumps with new ones (usually steel or concrete), while re-levelling ensures the house sits evenly and feels solid underfoot.
Over time, it’s normal for Queenslanders to experience some movement — they’re timber homes, often decades or a century old, sitting on changing soil. That doesn’t mean the house is “bad”; it just means it’s ready for some foundation care.
Re-stumping and re-levelling can:
Restore a level floor and smoother door operation
Improve structural integrity and comfort
Prepare the home for future renovations, extensions, or a raise-and-build-under
Help protect against moisture and pests
These works are often done before or as part of a bigger transformation — not just as maintenance, but as the groundwork for what comes next.
3. Raising a Queenslander – Opening Up New Space
Raising a Queenslander involves lifting the home to a higher level on new stumps. It’s a big move, but when planned well, it opens up enormous possibilities.
You might raise your home to:
Add a full lower level with living areas, bedrooms, or a rumpus
Create a proper entry, garage, or workshop underneath
Improve ceiling heights downstairs to meet current standards
Gain better views or improve natural light
Align the upper and lower levels for a more logical layout
The process usually includes:
Engineering and design planning
Disconnecting services where required
Carefully lifting the home on hydraulic equipment
Installing new stumps and structural steel
Lowering the home onto its new, engineered position
Building in underneath as part of your renovation scope
When done by experienced teams, it’s controlled and methodical — and the results can completely change how the home lives.
4. Sliding a Queenslander – Repositioning for Better Use of the Block
Sliding a Queenslander means shifting the house horizontally across the site while it’s supported on specialist equipment.
This can be useful when you want to:
Move the home further forward or back to improve yard space
Create room at the side for an extension or secondary dwelling
Re-orient the home to face a view, street, or garden
Bring two structures closer together to function as one larger home
Sliding is often combined with raising or re-stumping — for example, lifting the home, sliding it to a new position, then setting it down on new engineered stumps.
5. Approvals & Planning
Because these works are structural, they usually require:
Structural engineering
Building approval (via private certifier or council)
Consideration of character or heritage overlays
Setback, height, and flood mapping checks
It’s not something you need to navigate alone. A good builder will coordinate the right consultants and approvals so the process feels clear rather than overwhelming.
6. What This Unlocks for Your Renovation
Once your Queenslander is raised, slid, re-stumped, and re-levelled, you have a much stronger platform for everything else you want to do.
This can include:
A new lower-level floor plan that ties in seamlessly with the original home
Open-plan living areas that connect to the garden
Additional bedrooms, guest spaces, or a master retreat
Better storage, garaging, and practical spaces for family life
Improved drainage and site layout
It’s often the first major step in turning an older home into something that truly supports the way you live now — without losing its history.
How Hill House Supports You Through the Process
Raising, sliding, re-stumping, and re-levelling a Queenslander are big moves — but they don’t have to feel daunting.
With Hill House Design & Construct:
Our design team helps you plan how the new levels and layout will work together
We collaborate with trusted engineers and house-raising specialists who understand character homes
We factor stump work and structural changes into the design and budget from the start
We ensure the new spaces (especially underneath) feel like a natural continuation of the original home, not an afterthought
We guide you through approvals, timelines, and what to expect on site
You don’t need to know the ins and outs of stumps, levels, and hydraulic jacks — that’s what we’re here for.
Your job is to dream about how you’d love to live in your home.
Our job is to help your Queenslander get there, safely, beautifully, and with its character still at the heart of it all.