These days, most homeowners trying to sell a home have the upper hand—the seller’s market means home prices are high, inventory is low, and sellers can afford to be choosy with the offers that are presented to them.

But what happens when that changes? Places such as Boston, paralyzed for weeks by a brutal winter, are already bucking the trend and moving toward a buyer’s market, when potential home buyers hope to leverage their bargaining power.

When the number of homes on the market outnumbers the number of buyers, sellers may be more willing to negotiate on the price of their home and offer concessions to seal a deal. But potential buyers would be wrong to assume they’ll be able to find bargain-basement prices.

Follow these five tips to make sure you don’t make mistakes when trying to take advantage of a buyer’s market.

1. Know the market

Gary Lucido, president of Lucid Realty in Chicago, says…