KINGSTON — Driving northeast along Ohio Avenue it’s easy to miss the outlier. Sitting behind a madrona tree in an almost vacant lot, one of these homes is not like the others. It’s smaller. Much smaller.

It’s called a “tiny house,” and with good reason. At about 130 square feet, it’s no bigger than a Chevrolet Suburban.

It belongs to a woman named Melodie, who bought it about a year ago from Tumbleweed Tiny House Company.

In keeping with the “off the grid” spirit of her home, Melodie asked to keep her last name off the record.

She’s staying with a friend now while she makes the transition to smaller living. The tiny house is dramatically smaller than her last apartment, which was about 550 square feet. Although she doesn’t consider herself a minimalist, the tiny house was a way to cut down on clutter.

“It was a way to simplify,” Melodie said. “I don’t want to be stuck in a 9 to 5 job.”

The model Melodie bought is called a Linden, which normally goes for $60,000. But she paid about $13,000 for her tiny house, including delivery — considerably less than the average cost of a house in Kingston, which is $336,100, according to www.zillow.com.

“This was a way to keep expenses down,” Melodie said.

Melodie lives in Seattle and comes over on the ferry as often as possible. Her father is helping with the finishing touches, such as wood siding, windows and roofing.

The goal is to one day live in it full time.

“I want to be self-contained,” Melodie said. “I want to be able to take it anywhere.”

Moving a tiny house ought to be simple, because they sit on two wheels and are technically recreational vehicles. Melodie said it’s powered with solar and battery. The Linden comes with a kitchen, bathroom with shower and low-flush toilet that can be connected to sewer or holding tank, according to Tumbleweed’s website.

“I really like the idea that I can just pick up my whole house and take it,” Melodie said.