OK, thought about this some more and I think I would rent (as long as you're pretty sure you could get somewhere you liked). Buying and selling are a pain. We're in a house that's very nice but is not our dream house either and I'm getting a bit itchy after only having been here just over a year. So now we're in a situation where I'm constantly thinking of ways to 'fix' the house versus buying somewhere else. I guess it depends on how much of a compromise the house(s) you would buy would be. For us, the move has been worthwhile - big house, lots of land versus the compromise of the house not having great views of the garden because it's basically orientated all wrong on the block.

I think I just contradicted myself

If in doubt, just go with your heart. There's no right or wrong answer. If you see a rental you really like, do that. If you see a house for sale that you really like, buy it and figure the rest out later