Buying a Queenslander House: Stumps, Asbestos, Character Overlays and What to Check Before You Buy
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
What is a Queenslander house? It’s a house raised on stumps with generous verandahs, traditionally built in timber. Queensland’s first booklet of house designs, published in 1887, already showed designs set on stumps with generous verandahs, and the plan books that most 20th-century homes were chosen from offered variations on the Queenslander design.[1] Buying one means checking things a newer home rarely raises: the stumps and termites, asbestos and lead paint, old wiring, and in Brisbane, character overlays that control demolition and some changes.[2][3] This guide covers each check, what Brisbane City Council allows, what a renovation can cost, and how we approach a Queenslander for a client.
Key takeaways
- In Brisbane, check City Plan’s overlays first. If the house is in the traditional building character overlay and the entire building was built before 1946, demolishing it needs planning approval.[4]
- Raising a house in that overlay to a new height of no more than 9.5 metres, or enclosing underneath, may not need planning approval, but you still need building approval.[5]
- Get a building inspection and a termite inspection, and make the contract subject to both. Defects you knew about before buying can’t later be claimed on the home warranty.[3]
- Most homes built before 1990 contain some asbestos, and paints high in lead were used in many Australian houses before 1970.[3][6]
- A renovator Queenslander can still be worth buying when the structure and position are sound, but budget for stumps, roof, wiring, plumbing and asbestos, as our buyer’s agent FAQ explains.
What makes a house a Queenslander
The Queenslander isn’t one fixed design. Queensland’s first house plan booklet, from the Queensland Deposit Bank and Building Society in 1887, ran from 2-room cottages to 2-storey villas, quite Victorian in style but set on stumps with generous verandahs. Later plan books, including those from government schemes that helped working families build, offered variations on the same idea: houses raised on stumps with generous verandahs.[1]
In Brisbane, that history shows up in planning rules. Brisbane City Council says character properties are mainly buildings built before the end of 1946, with special considerations for buildings built before 1911. City Plan identifies three types: traditional building character, commercial character building and pre-1911 building.[2] A character building isn’t necessarily a heritage place. Local heritage places sit on a separate heritage overlay, and state heritage places are on the Queensland Heritage Register, and changes to those are assessed by the Queensland Government.[2]
Check the overlays before you fall for the house
Council suggests searching the address in City Plan online, turning on the heritage, traditional building character, commercial character building and pre-1911 building overlays, and downloading a Property Lot Report.[2] Do it before you make an offer, because the overlays decide what you can change.
Demolition. You need planning approval to demolish if the site is on the Queensland Heritage Register, is a local heritage place, is in the pre-1911 building overlay, or is in the traditional building character overlay and the entire building was built before 1946. Some minor demolition in the character and pre-1911 overlays doesn’t need planning approval, such as removing an internal wall, a stair or a post-1946 addition, or replacing windows, doors and balustrades with new ones of the same style.[4]
Raising and extending. You need building approval from a licensed building certifier before you extend, raise or renovate. In the traditional building character overlay, you’ll generally need planning approval for external extensions, and some extensions and renovations to a house built during or before 1946 need it too. Minor work may not, including enclosing under an existing building, an external stair or ramp, a carport, garage or shed at the rear, and raising a house where the new height doesn’t exceed 9.5 metres. Internal works alone are unlikely to need planning approval.[5]
Council notes these rules are subject to change and points to table 5.3.4.1 of City Plan for the details.[5] Our view, from our buyer’s agent FAQ, is that a pre-war Queenslander inside a character overlay can still be renovated, but the approvals, timelines and costs differ sharply from a post-war brick home, so we review the property report and overlays before you commit, not after the contract goes unconditional.
A raised timber house rests on its stumps and frame, so the building inspection matters more than usual. The QBCC recommends a pre-purchase building inspection and a termite inspection before you finalise a purchase, and suggests making it a condition of your contract that you’re happy with the results. A building inspector looks for obvious defects such as a faulty roof, leaking ceilings, weak or cracked walls, damaged foundations, mould, a lack of waterproofing and drainage problems.[3] Our guide to building and pest inspections in QLD covers how to set those conditions up.
- Go to the inspection. Understand what the inspector will and won’t look at, and ask about anything that worries you. If you’re concerned about a particular part, such as the roof, get a more detailed report from the right expert, such as a plumber or an engineer.[3]
- Know what the report isn’t. A pre-purchase building inspection is not a warranty against future defects, and if you buy a house with defects or subsidence you knew about, you can’t later claim on the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme.[3]
- Use licensed inspectors. Only a licensed residential building inspector can do a pre-purchase building inspection, and only a licensed pest controller can do a termite inspection.[3]
- Ask about termite protection. The termite inspector checks for termites, termite damage and any existing termite management system, and should tell you how to maintain it.[3] The QBCC recommends a licensed pest controller inspect every year, or more often in high hazard areas.[7]
Stumps come first on the renovation list in our FAQ, which also suggests using an inspector who works on Queenslanders weekly. If you plan to renovate, the QBCC warns that footpaths, garden beds, patios, pergolas and landscaping can make a termite system less effective.[7]
The QBCC says most homes built before 1990 contain some asbestos, your building inspector will point out possible asbestos, and renovating a house that contains asbestos needs extra precautions and may cost more.[3] Asbestos can be in gutters, gables, flooring underlay, fences, sheds and splashbacks, and some houses built in the 1990s or early 2000s used asbestos products until the total ban in 2003.[8]
- Leave it or test it. Asbestos products in good condition don’t affect your health, but disturbed or damaged asbestos can be harmful. If you’re unsure whether a product contains asbestos, the QBCC suggests having it checked by a licensed asbestos assessor.[8]
- Know the removal rules. A homeowner can remove 10 square metres or less of non-friable (bonded) asbestos without a certificate, following safe work procedures. Removing more needs a certificate under arrangements approved by Queensland Health, and friable asbestos, such as some felt carpet underlay, must be removed by a holder of an A class licence.[9]
- Check the paint. Before 1970, paints with high levels of lead were used in many Australian houses. Peeling or flaking lead paint is a health risk, especially for children, and so is lead dust from renovating, but lead paint in good condition or covered by lead-free paint is not.[6]
Safety switches have been compulsory on power point circuits in new Queensland homes since 1992, and on power point and lighting circuits since 2000. If you buy a home without a safety switch, you must install one for the power point circuits within 90 days of the property transfer, and the seller must declare whether one is installed on the contract.[10] Wiring is also on the renovation list in our FAQ, so have a licensed electrician look at the switchboard and wiring before you budget.
Our FAQ’s answer on renovator Queenslanders is yes, they can still be worth buying when the structure and position are sound, but renovation premiums are now priced tightly. Budget for stumps, roof, wiring, plumbing and asbestos. Our FAQ also gives a 2026 range for a full high-set renovation, repeated in the questions below. Get your own builder’s quote before you rely on any figure.
Two QBCC rules shape the budget. A contractor must hold a QBCC licence to carry out building work valued over $3,300,[11] and a builder takes out home warranty insurance under the Queensland Home Warranty Scheme when they do more than $3,300 of work on your home, which covers some defects and subsidence for a set period.[3] Allow for the approvals too: building approval always, and planning approval for some changes in the character overlay.[5]
You don’t have to do it all at once. In our Yeronga first home story, the buyers chose a character home on a 632 m² block just outside the suburb’s most expensive pocket, one of them loved its original kitchen, and they planned a few modern improvements before renovating as their family’s needs changed.
- The overlays. Search City Plan online and download the Property Lot Report.[2]
- Your plans against the rules. Check whether raising, extending or removing parts of the house would need planning approval.[5][4]
- A building inspection by an inspector who knows Queenslanders, with a specialist report on anything that worries you.[3]
- A termite inspection, including the state of any termite management system.[3]
- Asbestos and lead paint, before you plan any work that disturbs them.[8][6]
- The switchboard, and whether a safety switch protects the power point circuits.[10]
- Flood risk. Check the flood information for the address too: read our guide to checking a property’s flood risk and our analysis of flood-free suburbs in Brisbane.
- A renovation budget from a licensed builder, with the conditions written into the contract before you sign.[11][3]
IPS Buyer’s Agents works only for buyers, and Tim Allen has personally inspected and negotiated all 128 properties we have bought since 2023. On a Queenslander we review the overlays and property report before you commit, budget the renovation honestly, and push for the inspections that matter on an older house. Zian Gibbs, our buyer’s agent, has personally assessed more than 150 open homes and inspects every shortlisted property in the same detail, as our FAQ notes. One client described the home we found them as “a beautifully renovated Queenslander in Silkstone on an 810sqm block” in their review; the Silkstone story tells the rest. See our buyer’s agent services, or the costs of buying a house in QLD for the full budget.
A Queenslander can be a great buy, but you’re buying an old house, often in a character overlay. Check the overlays before you fall for it, inspect the stumps, frame, roof and termite protection, find out where the asbestos and lead paint are before anyone starts work, and price the renovation with a builder. If the structure and the position are sound, the rest can be planned.
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. It is not legal, building, planning or financial advice and does not consider your circumstances. Planning rules change, so check Brisbane City Plan and your council’s current requirements, and get advice from a building certifier, licensed inspectors and your solicitor before you buy or renovate.
If you’re looking at a Queenslander and want it checked properly before you commit, book a time with Tim Allen.
- State Library of Queensland — Plans for living: House plans for a new century (blog, 8 May 2026)
- Brisbane City Council — Heritage and character properties (read 13 November 2026)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — Before you buy and sell: pre-purchase building and pest inspections (last reviewed 10 March 2024)
- Brisbane City Council — Demolition or removal (read 13 November 2026)
- Brisbane City Council — Extensions, raising or renovations (read 13 November 2026)
- Queensland Government — Lead paint exposure (last updated 7 August 2020)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — Protect against termites (last reviewed 11 August 2021)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — Homeowners urged to investigate before they renovate (news, 19 November 2023)
- Queensland Government asbestos website — Homeowner’s certificate to remove asbestos (read 13 November 2026)
- Electrical Safety Office (Queensland) — Frequently asked questions: safety switches (read 13 November 2026)
- Queensland Building and Construction Commission — When you need a licence (read 13 November 2026)
What is a Queenslander house?
A house raised on stumps with generous verandahs, traditionally built in timber. Queensland’s first booklet of house designs, published in 1887, already showed designs set on stumps with generous verandahs, and 20th-century plan books offered variations on the Queenslander design. In Brisbane, Council’s character rules mainly cover buildings built before the end of 1946.
Can you knock down a Queenslander in Brisbane?
Not freely. Demolition needs planning approval if the house is in City Plan’s traditional building character overlay and the entire building was built before 1946, or if it is in the pre-1911 building overlay, is a local heritage place or is on the Queensland Heritage Register. Some minor demolition, such as an internal wall or a post-1946 addition, doesn’t need planning approval.
Can you raise a Queenslander in Brisbane?
You need building approval from a licensed building certifier. In the traditional building character overlay, raising a house where the new height doesn’t exceed 9.5 metres, or enclosing under it, may not need planning approval, but external extensions generally do. Check table 5.3.4.1 of City Plan, because Council says the rules are subject to change.
Do Queenslanders have asbestos?
They can. The QBCC says most homes built before 1990 contain some asbestos, in places such as gutters, gables, flooring underlay, fences, sheds and splashbacks. Asbestos in good condition doesn’t affect your health, but disturbed or damaged asbestos can be harmful, so have suspect materials checked by a licensed asbestos assessor before you renovate.
How much does it cost to renovate a Queenslander?
It depends on the house and the scope, so get a builder’s quote. Our FAQ puts a full high-set renovation at $250,000 to $450,000 in 2026 and suggests budgeting for stumps, roof, wiring, plumbing and asbestos. Building work valued over $3,300 must be done by a QBCC-licensed contractor.
What should a building inspection on a Queenslander cover?
Obvious defects such as a faulty roof, leaking ceilings, weak or cracked walls, damaged foundations, mould, waterproofing and drainage, plus a separate termite inspection by a licensed pest controller. Go to the inspection, ask questions, and get a specialist report, such as from an engineer, on anything that worries you. Make the contract subject to both inspections.