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Planning Tips:
Plan, Plan, Plan.  You should spend at least as much time planning as building.  I started planning in 1997 for my layout and broke ground in 2000.  I learned so much in those three years, I can't imagine have starting any earlier.  In those 3 years I did things that didn't require planning, so that once the track is laid down progress will go quickly.  You can build structures, locomotives, etc as you plan the layout.  Painting people and small details and storing them until needed makes your layout really progress quickly.

I also plan with graph paper and a track planning template.  This allows for lots of quick changes.  Additionally I save all the time not having to learn track laying software.  Below is a typical plan for my sections, this one is Cumbo.

Building Tips:
Build the layout to be portable.  I build in 4, 6 or 8 foot sections of varying width, though most are 24 inches deep.  The sections can then be disconnected and moved if need be.  I have relocated about 10 sections from my first house to my current house.  This has allowed me to continue work quickly in the new house and not waste time, materials and money.  As seen below, on the middle section of Hancock, there are lots of advantages to this.  I can work on my saw horses at an ergonomic level, saving my back.  I can have 360 degree access to the modeling area, so I don't have awkward reaches to do scenery.  I also can tip the whole section on its side and do the wiring much easier.  Additionally, I can move these sections by myself, as each is under 10 lbs.  Finally, if I ever have to move again, I can just disconnect the track and move this to the next house.  This section already has been moved between houses once.  Also, to my note above, these four structures were built prior to the layout and have now been mounted into the foam.

Drill holes in your cross beams.  I use 1x3 dimensional lumber to make the support structure for the foam.  I put a cross beam every 16 inches now for rigidity.  I didn't do that before, and some sections flexed.  I then drill 3/4 inch holes 6, 12 and 18 inches from the front of the 24 inch wide layout.  This will allow you to put wires through the holes so they don't dangle below the layout.  Below you can see I drill three 3/4 inch holes in the cross beams.  The first photo is the west end of Hancock section.  I use the middle hole for the main power bus for the DCC system (black and red wires).  You can see where the wires from each section of track drop though the foam and connect to the main power bus wire.  I used the hole closest to the back of the layout for the switch machine wires (not in this photo yet)  The hole closest to the front will be for LED light strings to illuminate the lower level.  The second photo shows under Martinsburg.  The terminal blocks (black squares or rectangles) are used to connect the wires under each section, so they can easily be separated.  The green and white wires are for the switch motors.  I could have done this much neater, but I was running them while the sections were mounted on the wall, which I will never do again.  Working under the layout is not comfortable.  Also, since this section sits near my DCC system, the grey flat wire in the photo is the one that runs the tethered throttles.

 
Put the switch motors in from the top.  In each of my tower controlled interlockings (Brunswick, Martinsburg, Cumbo, Miller and Hancock) I use Circuitron's Tortoise Switch motors to electrically move each turnout.  I mount each Tortoise switch motor to a 4x4 inch piece of fascia board.  I then cut a hole in from the top of the foam and mount it flush to the rest of the foam.  You can see four of them in the photo of Miller below (brown squares under the turnouts).  I did not do this years ago on my first sections in Hancock.  See the photo above and you won't see the switch motors.  This took considerable time to fix, but I found a way to mount them from the bottom, and all of the Hancock sections have been modified to have switch motors.  Trust me, it is WAY easier to put them in from the top, as you build the track.  Another tip from this photo, that I've learned is to paint the foam dark grey before starting work.  I used to just start with the bare pink foam.  The pink is so distracting, that I couldn't stand it anymore.  Painting it grey also allows for better protection for chipped scenery and is actually better to bond plaster or scenery materials to.

 
Mount your building foundations before you build the building.  This is the foundation for the Hancock passenger station.  I made it first and mounted it in the scenery, prior to building the rest of the building.  This has two main benefits.  First, you can continue with scenery in this area, while not having to wait for the rest of the building.  Second, your building will be removable, making transport easier and reducing the chance of damage if it gets bumped.  I didn't do this on my early buildings, but it is a standard practice now.

Start with the backdrop.  I have done it both ways, and trust me,  it is much easier putting in the backdrop first.  I used both sheet styrene and hardboard for my backdrops.  I've found that hardboard backdrops (which are a paper product) do better if you paint them on all sides prior to installation.  This keeps the swelling down due to humidity changes through the seasons and helps eliminate bubbles in your backdrop.  The styrene or hardboard is adhered with Liquid Nails to the wall.  I also use 3M "90" spray adhesive to adhere the backdrop itself to the styrene or hardboard, which I have found is much better than their "77" product.  I also cove the corners, by bending the styrene or hardboard, avoiding a harsh sharp corner on the layout.  These images show Miller on the upper left and Cumbo on the upper right.  Note the Brunswick (lower left) backdrops are already installed, but benchwork construction hasn't begun there yet.