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A pretty European village with 24C temperatures in April is paying people to live there. Nestled in the mountains of the Soria province in Spain, Arenillas is currently home to just 40 people.

Its local council has now decided to give away a fully renovated home and guaranteeing work to a family willing to relocate to the village. When they first launched the scheme earlier this year, it was immediately met with almost 100 applications. Anyone wanting to move to the tiny village must have school-age children and agree to take over the local bar. One adult will have to work as a local bricklayer in exchange for living rent-free in one of seven recently restored homes.

The remaining six families will have to pay €100 (£87) rent each month. Arenillas is located in what is known as "España Vaciada" - empty Spain - a region where generations of inhabitants have moved to the cities in search of work.

Fewer than a dozen families are said to live in Arenillas year-round. The population increases to around 300 during the summer festival season and at weekends, reports the Indian Defence Review.

Rodrigo Gismera, a member of the Asociación Sociocultural de Arenillas, has swapped the village for life in Madrid. He however says he remains "deeply connected" to his home village.

He explained: "As fewer people were living in the village, the town hall, the locals and the association realised there was a shortage of housing and began renovating existing buildings. In an area where housing was virtually non-existent, Arenillas became like a lake in the desert."

Any family relocating to the area will be in charge of the bar, a social spot for the villagers. However Rodrigo fears it may not generate much income for the future tenant, explaining that the free housing is designed to compensate for the low turnover.

The bricklayer work is thought to be more secure however. The successful applicant will be working on the on-going renovation work in the village, something the parish council describes as a "long-term need".

The family must also commit to living in the town permanently. Children will also face a 20km commute each way to the local school, with free daily transport provided by authorities.

Public transport in the area is also limited with a basic medical consultation room in Arenillas. Most healthcare needs are catered for by larger nearby towns.

Around 116 people applied to move to Arenillas in just a week. The council and cultural association are now assessing candidates based on their experience in construction work or bar management, as well as how they would adapt to the harsh winters of rural life.

Applicants must be eligible to live and work in Spain. Arenillas hosts two festivals each year, the San Isidro Labrador on May 15 and the San Cipriano during the first week of August or late September.

Arenillas isn't the only area to offer people money to relocate either. A struggling Italian town set aside €300,000 (around £261k) in order to tempt new people to move into the area.

Radicondoli sits within the hills of Tuscany, around 60km away from Florence. The town offered to pay half of the rent for anyone moving in for their first two years, providing they remained there for a further two.

New residents who committed to spending a decade in the town were eligible for further grants. Mayor Francesco Guarguaglini told CNN that 60 people had taken up the offer.

It came after around 100 of the 450 homes in Radicondoli sat empty. The politician said: "We distinguish ourselves from the sale of houses at one euro. Here, our homes have a value. Sociality, hospitality and numerous cultural initiatives are the added value alongside the strategic location of the village."