I would say... Congratulations!!

Yes, owning is better than renting. Even though renting can be cheaper, it is money down the drain. Paying on a mortgage is paying money to your investment.
At least this is true here in Norway. With the interests being low these days, you can pay more of the actual mortgage reducing future interest peaks.

I did the brave thing of actually building my house at a time it cost 10 times my annual income. It cost 3000k to build but is worth 5000k on today's market.