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 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). ⸻ Responsibilities: • Review and understand the existing Kohana MVC structure and routes • Rebuild functionality within Laravel (latest stable version) • Replicate all controllers, models, and database interactions • Maintain existing logic • Migrate configuration 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 ⸻ Requirements: • Strong background in PHP 7/8, Laravel 9+, and MySQL • Solid understanding of Kohana • Experience migrating legacy PHP apps to modern frameworks • Able to work with existing codebase responsibly and securely ⸻ 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 ⸻ Bonus Skills (Nice to Have): • Experience with AWS EC2 ⸻ Project Type: One-off project and looking for long-term maintenance and new feature work. The current website is not massive, but as it has current customers, it is important that the new website is fully functional. 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 Kohana • Estimated completion time for migration of a medium-complexity website