When we bought our apartment it also cost less than renting it. If you need to move in the future you can rent it and with that you pay the other rent, or sell it and get your money back.
In a certain way, your landlord did you a favour. These months will be crazy, moving is very stressful. But it's worth it, you will have a more comfortable space and the feeling that it is your real home.
An hour from your current home? Tell me it's closer, plissss. 🙏
Yeah, those "anomalies" happen occasionally, and that happened to us now... So, buying was an option to "save money"... And I agree with you about renting 100%! It was just a lame excuse to think that renting (without owning anything) is giving you some kind of freedom... It's just an illusion... The way that you described is the best way to do it!!!
Hahahahah... As we are moving toward the other side, but a bit inland, when I run Google Maps to see the distance from you, it is a 1-minute car drive closer by car than our current place... 😃 So, no improvements there... 😀