How It Works: Secure, Modernise, Maintain

One path, three stages

I take on ageing PHP and Laravel platforms and get them back under control. It happens in three stages, in order.
You do not have to commit to the whole journey. You just have to start it.

Three stages, not a menu

Every ageing platform goes through the same journey: first find out how bad it is and stop the bleeding, then rebuild what needs rebuilding, then keep it healthy. These are not three services to choose between. They are the stages, in order. Each one sells the next: the audit scopes the modernisation, the modernisation ends with a platform worth maintaining, and the retainer is the relationship that keeps it that way. You do not have to commit to the whole journey. You just have to start it.

Stage 1 of 3

Secure — the Platform Audit

The smallest safe first step. A fixed-price, fixed-scope review of your codebase, security, and server, delivered as a plain-English report with a prioritised, costed action plan. £1,950, within two weeks. Even if you never hire me again, you walk away knowing exactly what you own and what it needs.

Start with a Platform Audit

Stage 2 of 3

Modernise — legacy PHP to Laravel

Scoped from the audit, never guessed at from a distance. Using the Strangler Fig pattern, old and new run side by side, so your users see no disruption. Zero-downtime deployment with automated rollback. You end up with a modern Laravel codebase, tests, documentation, and no vendor lock-in. The result is confidence, not fear.

See Modernise

Stage 3 of 3

Maintain — the ongoing retainer

Where the journey lands. A dedicated technical partner who monitors your infrastructure and deals with issues before they become outages. Proactive monitoring, dependency and security updates, monthly reporting, and named response times. £500 a month.

See Maintain

Common questions

Answers to what people usually ask before they start.

Can you take over a site or system that another developer built?

Yes, this is a significant part of what I do. Many clients come to me after a previous developer has moved on, or when internal capacity runs out. I'll review the existing codebase normally with a focus on security and performance, document what's there, and take over responsibility for ongoing development and support. I won't insist on rebuilding everything from scratch just to make it 'mine'. If the foundations are sound, I'll work with them. It's often helpful to work through bug logs on a weekly basis to tidy up any silent issues. If there are serious problems, I'll tell you clearly what they are and what it would take to fix them.

Do you offer ongoing maintenance and support?

Yes. Most clients move onto a Maintain retainer after their project goes live. There are three tiers: one, two, or four dedicated days each month, and every tier includes proactive monitoring, dependency and security updates, and a monthly report. For WordPress sites, all core, plugin, and theme updates are tested locally before being applied to your live site. If you need development work beyond your tier's allowance, additional days are £500 each, agreed in advance.

Do you sign NDAs and handle confidential work?

Yes. I sign NDAs as a matter of course for clients who require them, and I treat all client work as confidential regardless. If you're working on something sensitive like a new product, proprietary business logic, or data that can't leave your organisation, that's fine. I'm comfortable working within information security requirements and have experience with clients in regulated industries.

Do you work on a fixed price or day rate?

Both, depending on what makes sense for the work. For well-defined projects with a clear scope, I'll quote a fixed price so you know exactly what you're committing to. For ongoing work, exploratory projects, or situations where the scope is likely to evolve, I work at a day rate. I'll always be upfront about which approach I'm recommending and why. There are no hidden extras so if scope changes during a fixed-price project, we'll agree any additional cost before I proceed.