A picturesque Normandy village with a declining population is selling land for 1 euro (71 pence) per square metre in the hope of attracting new residents, reports The Telegraph.
Champ-du-Boult, a community of only 388 people, a quarter of whom are British, has put four municipally owned plots of 900 to 1,000 square metres up for sale.
Buyers will be required to build houses on the plots and live in them, rather than turning them into holiday homes.
The village, surrounded by wooded countryside and farmland, has suffered from an exodus of young people seeking work. The population numbered more than 500 in the early 1980s, and 1,300 in 1900.
The mayor, Patrick Madeleine, is struggling to raise money to renovate the community hall and hopes the arrival of new families will raise municipal revenue.
"We're in a period where money is short, with state grants being cut back," Mr Madeleine said. "The only way to bring a bit more wealth into the community is to bring in new residents."
He said the land was first put on the market in 2007 for 12 euros per square metre but no buyers had been found.
Since the lower price was announced last week, hundreds of prospective buyers, including four or five Britons, have contacted the council. It will choose successful applicants in the next three to four weeks.