About us
About Subhan Property Group
We help landowners in England find out whether their land could take new homes, and give them a way to benefit without paying for, or risking money on, planning.
What We Do
We agree a price for land with development potential, set above what it is worth today, under an option agreement. We then fund and manage all of the planning work, at our own cost and risk. If planning permission is granted, we complete the purchase and the landowner receives the agreed price. If it is not, the landowner keeps the land and owes nothing.
Most of the land we look at is farmland, paddocks, inherited fields and old yards on the edge of towns and villages. Most of the people we work with have never sold land before. Our job is to make the process understandable, fair and free of cost to them.
Why We Started
Getting planning permission on a field is expensive and uncertain. Landowners who try it themselves can spend tens of thousands of pounds on reports and fees, only to be refused. Many of the alternatives offer a share of an unknown future sale price, with costs and fees taken off at the end that are hard to predict.
We wanted to offer something simpler: a price agreed at the start, every planning cost paid for, and honest advice about whether a site is likely to succeed. That means turning some sites down. We would rather do that than tie up someone's land for years in an agreement with little chance of success.
Proud Joint Venture Partners of BuildUp
We are proud joint venture partners of BuildUp. Through that partnership, every agreement we sign has experienced planners, architects, consultants and funding behind it from the first day, and landowners never pay towards planning.
Taking a housing site through planning can cost as much as £300,000 before a decision is made, and there is never a guarantee of success. We carry all of it. We appoint and pay the planning consultants, architects, highways engineers, drainage and flood risk consultants, ecologists, archaeologists, landscape architects and solicitors who prepare each application or local plan submission, and we fund appeals where there is a realistic prospect of success.
How We Work
Plain Answers
If we do not think your land will get planning, we say so, and we explain why.
Your Own Advice, Paid For
You should never sign without independent advice, so we contribute to your solicitor and land agent fees.
No Pressure
Take the time you need. Families often need several conversations, and that is fine.
Confidential
We do not contact the council, neighbours or anyone else about your land without your agreement.
We also publish plain-English guides on the subjects landowners ask about most, from option agreements to tax, and we update them when the rules change.
What Makes Us Different From Other Land Buyers
Landowners are approached by many kinds of buyer. This is how our approach compares with the most common alternatives.
| Our option agreement | Promotion agreement | Outright sale now | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Agreed in writing at the start, above today's value | Not known until the land is sold | Agreed now, usually close to today's value |
| Planning costs | Paid by us, in full | Paid by the promoter, then recovered from your sale proceeds | None sought, so the planning uplift goes to the buyer |
| Fees or deductions from your money | None | The promoter's fee, commonly a percentage, plus its costs | Selling costs |
| If land values fall during planning | Your price is protected | Your share falls with the market | Not applicable |
| If planning fails | You keep your land and owe nothing | You keep your land; check whether any costs are recoverable from you | Not applicable, as the land has already been sold at today's value |
Our side-by-side comparison of the routes goes into more detail, including the questions to ask any buyer or promoter before you sign.
How an Agreement Protects You
An option agreement is a formal legal contract, drafted by solicitors on both sides. Its purpose is to give us the right to buy your land if planning is achieved, while making sure you are not left worse off if it is not. The main protections are these:
- A fixed term. The agreement runs for a set number of years. If planning has not been achieved by the end, it ends automatically and your land is free again.
- A price in writing. The price, or the way it will be worked out, is set out in the agreement, so there is no renegotiation once permission is granted.
- Your land stays yours. You keep ownership and can go on farming, grazing or letting the land until the sale completes.
- Your approval on key steps. The agreement sets out what we can and cannot do on your land, such as surveys, and how you will be kept informed.
- No costs if it ends. If the agreement ends without a sale, you owe nothing for the planning work carried out.
The detail of every agreement is negotiated with your solicitor. Our guide to option agreements explains each clause and what to look out for, whoever you deal with.
Our Commitments to Landowners
- We will tell you honestly whether we think your land is likely to get planning, and why.
- We will put the price in writing before you commit to anything.
- We will not ask you to pay towards planning, surveys, applications or appeals.
- We will contribute to the cost of your own solicitor and land agent, so that you get independent advice.
- We will not contact the council, your neighbours or anyone else about your land without your agreement.
- We will keep you informed at each stage of the planning process, including when things go wrong.
- We will reply to every enquiry within 2 working days.
If you feel we have fallen short of any of these, our complaints procedure explains how to raise it and what we will do.
What Happens When You Get in Touch
- You tell us about the land. A location, a rough boundary and anything you already know about it. We reply within 2 working days.
- We carry out a free desktop review. We look at planning policy, the council's housing position, access, flood risk, heritage, ecology and landscape.
- We talk it through. By phone or in person, with you and anyone else involved, such as family members or your land agent. If the land is not suitable, we explain why.
- We put terms in writing. If the site looks promising, we set out the price and the main terms. Nothing is binding at this stage.
- Your advisers review the agreement. Your solicitor and land agent check the detail, and we contribute to their fees.
- The planning work begins. You carry on using your land as normal while we do the work.
The whole process is explained in more detail on our how it works page.
The People You Will Deal With
Ali Aziz Tarar
Founder, ACCA, MSc Accounting and Finance
Ali founded Subhan Property Group to give landowners a straightforward way to find out whether their land has development potential, without paying for planning themselves. He is a chartered certified accountant (ACCA) with an MSc in Accounting and Finance, and leads our landowner conversations and the financial side of every agreement, including how the numbers work for the landowner at completion.
Where We Work
We review land anywhere in England, from 2 acres upwards. These are the counties where we are most active.
Company Details
Subhan Property Group is a trading name of Subhan Developers Group Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales.
Phone 020 7946 0850 · Email land@subhanpropertygroup.co.uk · Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm
Read our privacy notice, terms of use and complaints procedure. If you have received a letter from us, this page explains why we wrote and how to check who we are.
Questions About Us
What kind of company are you?
We are a strategic land company. We secure land with development potential under option agreements, take it through planning at our own cost and risk, and complete the purchase once permission is granted. We are proud joint venture partners of BuildUp.
Who actually pays for the planning work?
We do, in full. That includes the surveys, consultants, applications and any appeal, which on a larger site can reach £300,000. None of it is passed to you or taken off your price.
How can I check who you are?
Our registered company details are below. You can look us up on Companies House, and we are always happy to meet you in person.
Do you work with land agents and solicitors?
Yes. We encourage every landowner to take independent advice, and we contribute to the cost. Land agents can also introduce a site to us.
Will you pressure me to sign?
No. Decisions about land often involve the whole family and can take months. Take the time you need.
Find Out What Your Land Could Be Worth
A free, confidential desktop review of your land. No cost and no obligation.