A major factor in Howat’s decision was reuniting with Manager Jo Potter, whom she knows well from their time together at Rangers.
She said: "Yeah, that was probably one of the main things was Jo, I had a good relationship with her at Rangers, I knew how she worked, the style of play and stuff. So that made my decision a lot easier."
The project at Palace, getting straight back into the topflight after relegation, was also a massive draw. That, and the familiar faces.
Howat said: "We are looking to get straight back up, which is exciting, and yeah, there's a few Scots! I think there's five of us in total and it is nice to have friendly faces. I know them all on different levels through the years I've played.
"It's made it pretty smooth actually. It's been really nice to have all the girls and then obviously Jo there as well. I know how she works. It's a little bit of a Scottish takeover down in London. I love it!"
As a forward, Howat is always aiming to put the ball in the back of the net, using a benchmark from the Manager as her personal target.
"Jo, actually, when I was speaking to her, told me a stat that she'd worked out: the teams that get promoted, their strikers score about ten a season.
"So for me, I was like, 'well, that's quite a good marker to have' - and I'm on three already, which is a good start.
"I just want to keep playing, and keep scoring when I get those opportunities. You don't get many opportunities in this league, so then when they come about, you need to be ready," she said.