Big, Ugly Slab of Concrete in the Backyard—Rip Out or Build Over?

[Evan Ventura]

Hey everyone, Trying to get some feedback on what I should do with a large slab of concrete in the back yard of a rental property I just purchased. The slab (to my memory) is about 25' x 15' by 6" and very, very ugly. Looks to have been a homeowner project gone horribly wrong; the slab sits approximately 6" above the ground and is very rough/uneven. There are even two large holes where it appears somebody poured the cement around the base of trees, which are now long dead. I will try and get some pictures of this thing later for perspective. I was originally planning on jackhammering it out myself, hiring a dumpster, and replacing the structure with a basic 10' x 10' paver patio and seeding the remaining ground for next season. I priced this project out to about $1,500-$2,000 if I did all of the work. But now that I think of it, would I be better served building a wooden deck over top of the concrete and hiding it? I priced the needed materials out to under $1,000; again, all of my labor. Would not removing this thing now prove problematic years from now when I want to sell? Would love any opinions!