Migrate a Kohana website to Laravel

Project Overview:

We are seeking an experienced PHP developer to migrate an existing live website built in Kohana to a modern Laravel framework.

The new site must retain all existing functionality, but be refactored for:
• Modern PHP (8.x+) standards
• Clean Laravel structure (controllers, models, Blade views, routing, middleware)
• Improved performance and maintainability
• Shortened URL structure (clean, SEO-friendly routing)

You will be working with a fully functional Kohana site, currently handling live customer data, search functions, dynamic content and admin panel logic. The goal is a like-for-like rebuild with improved codebase, not a design overhaul (though the Laravel migration should allow for easier future theming).

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Responsibilities:
• Review and understand existing Kohana MVC structure and routes
• Rebuild functionality within Laravel (latest stable version)
• Replicate all controllers, models, and database interactions
• Maintain existing logic (e.g. basket, search, admin tools, etc.)
• Migrate configuration, helpers, and custom libraries to Laravel service classes
• Replace old PHP/Kohana patterns with Laravel equivalents where possible
• Implement clean, short Laravel routes for all existing pages
• Ensure backward compatibility for indexed URLs (301 redirects where needed)
• Migrate authentication and session handling
• Deploy working Laravel app to staging server for review and testing

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Requirements:
• Strong background in PHP 7/8, Laravel 9+, and MySQL
• Solid understanding of Kohana or similar MVC frameworks (e.g., CodeIgniter)
• Experience migrating legacy PHP apps to modern frameworks
• Good knowledge of Composer, Blade templates, and Eloquent ORM
• Competence in routing, middleware, and RESTful structure
• Familiar with URL rewriting / SEO-friendly routing
• Able to work with existing codebase responsibly and securely

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Deliverables:
• Fully functional Laravel version of the current Kohana site
• All pages and features operational (matching legacy functionality)
• Clean, short Laravel route structure (no query-based URLs)
• Basic testing and bug fixing included
• Setup instructions / deployment documentation

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Bonus Skills (Nice to Have):
• Experience with Royal Mail API, Mailgun/Mailchimp, or DVLA-style integrations
• Understanding of e-commerce logic (carts, orders, payments)
• Familiarity with SEO-friendly migrations and 301 redirect planning

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Project Type:

One-off project with the potential for long-term maintenance and feature work.

Budget:

Open to fixed price or hourly — please include your estimated timeframe and quote.

How to Apply:

Please provide:
• Examples of Laravel projects you’ve built or migrated
• Your experience with legacy PHP frameworks (Kohana, CodeIgniter, etc.)
• Estimated completion time for migration of a medium-complexity website